Saturday, November 16
Santa Barbara, CA
4 p.m.
Rice University
-41,00 CUSA
82
at
81
UC Santa Barbara
1-2,0-0Big West
1
2
F
Rice
27
55
82
UC Santa Barbara
47
34
81
Photo by: Maria Lysaker - Rice Athletics
Moore’s Layup Completes Comeback as Rice Defeats UC Santa Barbara, 82-81
11/16/2019 7:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Rice shot 76.0% in the second half, capped off by Payton Moore's layup with two seconds left to erase a 22-point deficit and give the Owls an 82-81 victory at UC Santa Barbara, Saturday afternoon at the Thunderdome.
The Story
Rice jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead off a pair of Trey Murphy III three-pointers. After UCSB tied the game, Ako Adams and Murphy added threes. The teams went back-and-forth over the next five minutes. With the Guachos holding a 17-16 lead, Max Fiedler made a layup followed by a Drew Peterson three. After a UCSB basket, Adams hit a jumper to give Rice a 23-19 lead with 10 minutes to play in the first half. However, Rice struggled the rest of the half, making just two of its final 12 shots while turning the ball over eight times as UC Santa Barbara closed the half on a 28-4 run to take a 47-27 halftime lead. UCSB pushed its lead to 22 four minutes into the half. A 7-0 run cut the deficit to 15, but the Gauchos came right back with six straight points. The teams then went back-and-forth over the next six minutes.
The Turning Point
With 9:53 remaining, Max Heidegger converted a three-point play to give UC Santa Barbara a 69-50 lead. That's when Rice picked up its play. An 8-0 run, capped off by three-pointers by Peterson and Moore, cut the deficit to 69-58. After trading baskets, UCSB led 76-63. But Murphy connected on a three-pointer and then slammed home a driving dunk to send the Owls on an 11-0 run, cutting the lead to 76-74 with 3:16 to play. After UC Santa Barbara scored to push the lead to four, Moore hit a layup, followed by a pair of free throws by Chris Mullins to tie the game at 78. UCSB came right down and hit a three with 1:10 left. Mullins then drove in for a layup to pull within one. The Gauchos ran the clock down, but Heidegger's attempt from the baseline with nine seconds left hit the side of the backboard and Robert Martin grabbed the rebound and found Moore up the sideline who took it right to the rim for the winning basket.
The Stats
Rice shot 52.8% from the field and 52.0% from three. UC Santa Barbara connected on 55.7% from the floor and 40.0% from three. Rice outrebounded UCSB, 31-to-29 and connected on 72.2% from the free throw line. Rice also recorded 17 assists on 28 field goals.
What Scott Pera Had to Say
"Obviously, I'm incredibly proud of our guys. The resolve that they showed and how they stayed with it, what they were talking about at halftime (and) what they were talking about in the huddles in the second half. Once we got it to within 10 (points), they truly believed that they could win the game. It came down to us making a lot of plays, which we didn't do in the first half and dug the big hole. But man, down the stretch we made tremendous play after tremendous play and obviously Payton (Moore), making the smart move, going to the rim and finishing. It was an outstanding play and I couldn't be happier."
Notes
• Rice improves to 4-1 on the year.
• This was the second straight year that the teams have met and the fourth meeting all-time. Rice is 1-3 in the series.
• The 22-point comeback was the second largest in school history.
• Rice recorded 18 assists on 24 made baskets.
• Trey Murphy III scored 18 points and grabbed four rebounds.
• Murphy tied a career-high with five three-pointers.
• Payton Moore scored a career-high 18 points and tied a career-high with three, three-pointers.
• Chris Mullins scored a season-high 12 points, all in the second half.
• Robert Martin scored 10 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. It his first double-double of the year and fourth of his career.
• Drew Peterson scored eight points, had five rebounds and recorded a career-high six assists.
Next Up
Rice returns home next Tuesday, Nov. 19 when it hosts crosstown rival Houston. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be livestreamed by CBS Sports Network on Facebook.
The Story
Rice jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead off a pair of Trey Murphy III three-pointers. After UCSB tied the game, Ako Adams and Murphy added threes. The teams went back-and-forth over the next five minutes. With the Guachos holding a 17-16 lead, Max Fiedler made a layup followed by a Drew Peterson three. After a UCSB basket, Adams hit a jumper to give Rice a 23-19 lead with 10 minutes to play in the first half. However, Rice struggled the rest of the half, making just two of its final 12 shots while turning the ball over eight times as UC Santa Barbara closed the half on a 28-4 run to take a 47-27 halftime lead. UCSB pushed its lead to 22 four minutes into the half. A 7-0 run cut the deficit to 15, but the Gauchos came right back with six straight points. The teams then went back-and-forth over the next six minutes.
The Turning Point
With 9:53 remaining, Max Heidegger converted a three-point play to give UC Santa Barbara a 69-50 lead. That's when Rice picked up its play. An 8-0 run, capped off by three-pointers by Peterson and Moore, cut the deficit to 69-58. After trading baskets, UCSB led 76-63. But Murphy connected on a three-pointer and then slammed home a driving dunk to send the Owls on an 11-0 run, cutting the lead to 76-74 with 3:16 to play. After UC Santa Barbara scored to push the lead to four, Moore hit a layup, followed by a pair of free throws by Chris Mullins to tie the game at 78. UCSB came right down and hit a three with 1:10 left. Mullins then drove in for a layup to pull within one. The Gauchos ran the clock down, but Heidegger's attempt from the baseline with nine seconds left hit the side of the backboard and Robert Martin grabbed the rebound and found Moore up the sideline who took it right to the rim for the winning basket.
The Stats
Rice shot 52.8% from the field and 52.0% from three. UC Santa Barbara connected on 55.7% from the floor and 40.0% from three. Rice outrebounded UCSB, 31-to-29 and connected on 72.2% from the free throw line. Rice also recorded 17 assists on 28 field goals.
What Scott Pera Had to Say
"Obviously, I'm incredibly proud of our guys. The resolve that they showed and how they stayed with it, what they were talking about at halftime (and) what they were talking about in the huddles in the second half. Once we got it to within 10 (points), they truly believed that they could win the game. It came down to us making a lot of plays, which we didn't do in the first half and dug the big hole. But man, down the stretch we made tremendous play after tremendous play and obviously Payton (Moore), making the smart move, going to the rim and finishing. It was an outstanding play and I couldn't be happier."
Notes
• Rice improves to 4-1 on the year.
• This was the second straight year that the teams have met and the fourth meeting all-time. Rice is 1-3 in the series.
• The 22-point comeback was the second largest in school history.
• Rice recorded 18 assists on 24 made baskets.
• Trey Murphy III scored 18 points and grabbed four rebounds.
• Murphy tied a career-high with five three-pointers.
• Payton Moore scored a career-high 18 points and tied a career-high with three, three-pointers.
• Chris Mullins scored a season-high 12 points, all in the second half.
• Robert Martin scored 10 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. It his first double-double of the year and fourth of his career.
• Drew Peterson scored eight points, had five rebounds and recorded a career-high six assists.
Next Up
Rice returns home next Tuesday, Nov. 19 when it hosts crosstown rival Houston. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be livestreamed by CBS Sports Network on Facebook.
Team Stats
RICE
UCSB
FG%
.528
.557
3FG%
.520
.400
FT%
.722
.636
RB
31
29
TO
13
11
STL
4
6
Game Leaders
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Pts
18
FGM
6
3FGM
5
FTM
1
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's BasketballWBB: Rice vs. Marshall Postgame Presser
Wednesday, March 09
VB: Rice-Texas Postgame Presser
Saturday, December 04
VB: Rice-San Diego Postgame Presser
Thursday, December 02