Men’s Basketball Begins Road Trip with Nationally Televised Tilt at WKU

HOUSTON — After picking up a home sweep last week, Rice begins a two-game road trip this Thursday, Jan. 13 at WKU. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be nationally televised by CBS Sports Network.

Game 15
What: Rice at WKU
When: Thursday, January 13 at 8 p.m.
Where: Bowling Green, Ky.
Arena: E.A. Diddle Arena (7,523)
Watch: CBS Sports Network
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: WKU leads 7-2 (WKU leads 4-1 in Houston)

Scouting Rice
• Rice enters Thursday night's contest with a 9-5 record. The Owls are 2-1 in Conference USA after defeating UAB last Saturday, 85-80.
• Guard Carl Pierre leads the team and is tied for eighth in Conference USA with 15.1 points per game while pulling down 4.4 rebounds per game. He is second in the league in three-point field goal percentage (43.0%) and three-pointers made per game (2.9), and third in field goal percentage (50.7%).
• Guard Travis Evee is second on the team with 14.9 points per game while adding 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Evee leads C-USA in three-point field goal percentage (44.0%), is second in three-pointers made per game (2.9), and fifth in free throw percentage (86.0%). He's also connecting on 49.3% from the field.
• Guard Chris Mullins is scoring 9.7 points per game while placing second on the team with 2.9 assists per game.
• Sophomore Quincy Olivari is averaging 9.2 points per game and is second on the team with 4.5 rebounds per game.
• Forward Max Fiedler is averaging 9.1 points per game and is second in the conference with 8.6 rebounds per game. He leads the team in field goal percentage, connecting on 59.3% from the field and assists per game (3.3). He's also second in the conference with four double-doubles and ninth in blocks (1.2).
• Rice is averaging 77.4 points per game, which is third in Conference USA while allowing 73.8.
• The Owls are connecting on 46.5% from the field and 38.5% from three, which leads the league. They are allowing 42.5% from the floor and 30.8% from beyond the arc, which is third in C-USA.
• Rice is outrebounding the opposition, 37.6-to-34.8.
• Rice leads the conference in assists with 16.0 and is second in three-pointers per game with 10.1.
• Head coach Scott Pera is in his fifth season leading the Rice men's basketball program. He holds a record of 59-78.

Scouting WKU
• WKU enters Thursday night's game with a 9-6 record. The Hilltoppers are 1-1 in Conference USA after defeating FIU last Saturday, 84-71.
• Forward Jairus Hamilton leads WKU with 14.2 points. He is also seventh in the league in field goal percentage, connecting on 44.7% from the field and eighth in steals (1.8).
• Guard Camron Justice is second on the team with 14.0 points per game and tied for ninth in the conference with 2.3 three-pointers made per game.
• Guard Dayvion McKnight is scoring 13.9 points per game. He is second in the conference in assists (6.2), fifth in field goal percentage (48.1%), sixth in steals (1.9), and eighth in free throw percentage (78.8%).
• Guard Josh Anderson is scoring 12.3 points while placing second in the league in steals (2.4) and seventh in free throw percentage (81.1%).
• Center Jamarion Sharp leads WKU and is fourth in C-USA with 7.7 rebounds per game while leading the country with 72 blocks.
• WKU is averaging 77.3 points per game while allowing 68.5.
• The Hilltoppers are connecting on 47.1% from the field, good for second in Conference USA, and are hitting 34.6% from three. They are allowing 39.9% from the floor and 32.2% from beyond the arc.
• WKU is being outrebounded by its opponents, 37.8-to-37.1, and is second in the league in blocks (6.4) and steals (9.1).
• Head coach Rick Stansbury is in his sixth season at the helm of the WKU men's basketball program where he owns a 112-66 record. In 20 seasons as a head coach, Stansbury is 405-232.

Rice-WKU Series History
• Rice and WKU will meet for the 10th time overall.
• The Owls are 2-7 in the series and 1-4 in Bowling Green.
• Rice is looking to snap a six-game losing streak against the Hilltoppers.
• The Owls are looking for their first victory over WKU since an 83-73 decision on Jan. 14, 2016.

Next Up
• Rice closes the road trip this Saturday, Jan. 15, when it travels to Huntington, W.V., to face Marshall. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and it will be streamed by ESPN+.

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