Rice University
4-16 (1-6)
Louisiana Tech
12-9 (3-5)
Late Run Hands Rice 69-54 Defeat at Louisiana Tech
1/20/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By: Tim Andrzejewski (tim.andrzejewski@rice.edu)
Junior Connor Cashaw led Rice with 14 points. Sophomore Austin Meyer recorded his first career double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds and freshman Malik Osborne added 11 points and seven boards.
The teams traded baskets for the first three minutes of the game. A jumper by Cashaw and a three from Bishop Mency gave Rice its first lead at 9-8. After trading three-pointers, La Tech hit a pair of free throws. But a three-pointer by Cashaw followed by two baskets from Meyer over the next 3:45 gave Rice its largest lead of the game, 19-13.
However, that's when Rice went cold, as the Owls missed their next 12 shots, allowing the Bulldogs to go on an 11-0 run over the next 2:46. After a Meyer tip-in, Louisiana Tech scored five straight points to take its largest lead of the half, 29-21, with 6:32 to play.
Rice scored seven of the next 10 points, capped off by an Osborne three-pointer to get within four points. But an alley-oop by the Bulldogs sent the Owls into the break trailing 34-28.
Rice continued its cold streak in the second half, missing its first four shots. But La Tech was only able to extend its lead to 10 points. Rice then scored eight of the next 10 points to pull within 40-36 and force a Bulldog timeout 6:15 into the half.
After a La Tech free throw, baskets by Osborne and Miles Lester bookended a La Tech bucket to cut the deficit to 43-40 with 11:26 remaining. But a Jacobi Boykins four-point play pushed the lead to seven points.
A layup by Meyer cut the lead to five. But the Bulldogs went on a 22-5 run to put the game away.
Rice connected on just 37.3% (22-of-59) from the field, 27.3% (6-of-22) from three and 50.0% (4-of-8) from the free throw line. Louisiana Tech was 23-of-55 (41.8%) from the floor, 11-of-29 (37.9%) from beyond the arc and 66.7% (12-of-18) from the charity stripe.
"Louisiana Tech got to the free throw line more than us and they hit shots at opportune times," said Rice head coach Scott Pera. "We missed some opportunities. Bishop (Mency) had an open three that would have cut it to single-digits, but he missed and (Jacobi) Boykin came down and hit one to push it from 11 to 14 and the hole was too big. I'm proud of our guys. We fought hard. We tried to get back in it. We just let it slip away. It's a credit to them."
Rice returns home next Thursday, January 25, when it hosts FIU. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be livestreamed at CUSA.tv.
