Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Men’s Basketball Closes 2022 at UTEP
12/30/2022 2:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HOUSTON — Rice closes out 2022 this Saturday, Dec. 31, when it travels to El Paso to face UTEP. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT and it will be streamed by CUSAtv.
Game 14
What: Rice (10-3, 1-1) at UTEP (8-5, 1-1)
When: Saturday, December 31 at 3 p.m.
Where: El Paso, Texas
Stadium: Don Haskins Center (11,892)
Stream: CUSAtv
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: UTEP leads 30-14 (18-5 in El Paso)
Scouting Rice
• Rice enters Saturday's game with a 10-3 record and 1-1 in Conference USA. The Owls have won four straight games and nine of their last 10 after defeating WKU on Thursday, 81-78.
• Junior guard and Preseason All-Conference USA honoree Quincy Olivari leads the team and is second in C-USA with 18.5 points per game. He's also third on the team in rebounds per game (5.1) while placing fourth in the league in three-pointers made per game (2.6), sixth in three-point field goal percentage (.358), and eighth in field goal percentage (.434) and free throw percentage (.803).
• Junior guard Travis Evee is seventh in the league with 15.5 points per game. He's also fifth in field goal percentage (.834), free throw percentage (.843), and three-pointers made per game (2.5).
• Junior forward Max Fiedler leads the team and is second in the conference with 7.7 rebounds per game. He leads the league with 5.2 assists per game and three double-doubles. Fiedler is averaging 10.2 points per game while connecting on 72.9% from the field.
• Freshman guard Mekhi Mason is fourth on team with 9.5 points per game and fourth with 3.4 rebounds per game and junior guard Alem Huseinovic is averaging 7.1 points per game.
• Sophomore guard Cameron Sheffield is scoring 7.9 points per game while placing second on the team with 5.3 rebounds per game.
• Rice is scoring 83.4 points per game, which is second in Conference USA and 17th in the country, while allowing 73.1.
• The Owls are connecting on a league-best 49.7% from the field and 36.1% from three. Their opponents are hitting 44.7% from the floor and 34.2% from behind the arc.
• Rice is also outrebounding its opponents, 37.8-to-32.0.
• Rice leads the conference in assists per game (18.8), which is also 11th in the country, and is second in three-pointers made per game (9.4).
• Head coach Scott Pera is in his sixth season leading the Rice men's basketball program.
Scouting UTEP
• UTEP enters Saturday afternoon's game with an 8-5 record and 1-1 in Conference USA. The Miners are coming off a 79-73, double-overtime defeat at UAB on Thursday.
• Junior guard Tae Hardy is the only player in double-figures, averaging a team-high 13.5 points. He's also second on the team in assists with 2.1 per game.
• Senior guard Shamar Givance is second on the team with 9.6 points per game. He's sixth in the league in assists with 4.3 per game and 10th in free throw percentage (.759).
• Junior guard Mario McKinney, Jr., is averaging 9.5 points and junior forward Calvin Solomon leads the team with 5.4 rebounds.
• UTEP is scoring 70.5 points per game while allowing just 66.8.
• The Miners are connecting on 45.7% from the field but just 27.5% from three. Their opponents are hitting just 40.5% from the floor and 28.3% from behind the arc, which is second in the league.
• UTEP is also outrebounding its opponents, 37.0-to-35.1.
• The Miners are also third in the league in steals with 9.4.
• Head coach Joe Golding is in his second season at the helm of the UTEP men's basketball program where he owns a 28-19 record. In 12 seasons as a head coach, Golding is 186-63.
Rice-UTEP Series History
• Rice and UTEP will meet for 44th time overall.
• UTEP holds a 30-14 record in the series, including 18-5 in El Paso.
• The Miners have won 21 of the last 26 in the series.
• This is the first of two meetings between the teams. They will also face off on January 14 in Houston.
• From 1997-2006, the teams met as members of the Western Athletic Conference. Both teams have been a part of Conference USA since 2005.
Next Up
• Rice begins its Conference USA home schedule next Thursday, January 5, when it hosts Louisiana Tech. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed by ESPN+.
Game 14
What: Rice (10-3, 1-1) at UTEP (8-5, 1-1)
When: Saturday, December 31 at 3 p.m.
Where: El Paso, Texas
Stadium: Don Haskins Center (11,892)
Stream: CUSAtv
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: UTEP leads 30-14 (18-5 in El Paso)
Scouting Rice
• Rice enters Saturday's game with a 10-3 record and 1-1 in Conference USA. The Owls have won four straight games and nine of their last 10 after defeating WKU on Thursday, 81-78.
• Junior guard and Preseason All-Conference USA honoree Quincy Olivari leads the team and is second in C-USA with 18.5 points per game. He's also third on the team in rebounds per game (5.1) while placing fourth in the league in three-pointers made per game (2.6), sixth in three-point field goal percentage (.358), and eighth in field goal percentage (.434) and free throw percentage (.803).
• Junior guard Travis Evee is seventh in the league with 15.5 points per game. He's also fifth in field goal percentage (.834), free throw percentage (.843), and three-pointers made per game (2.5).
• Junior forward Max Fiedler leads the team and is second in the conference with 7.7 rebounds per game. He leads the league with 5.2 assists per game and three double-doubles. Fiedler is averaging 10.2 points per game while connecting on 72.9% from the field.
• Freshman guard Mekhi Mason is fourth on team with 9.5 points per game and fourth with 3.4 rebounds per game and junior guard Alem Huseinovic is averaging 7.1 points per game.
• Sophomore guard Cameron Sheffield is scoring 7.9 points per game while placing second on the team with 5.3 rebounds per game.
• Rice is scoring 83.4 points per game, which is second in Conference USA and 17th in the country, while allowing 73.1.
• The Owls are connecting on a league-best 49.7% from the field and 36.1% from three. Their opponents are hitting 44.7% from the floor and 34.2% from behind the arc.
• Rice is also outrebounding its opponents, 37.8-to-32.0.
• Rice leads the conference in assists per game (18.8), which is also 11th in the country, and is second in three-pointers made per game (9.4).
• Head coach Scott Pera is in his sixth season leading the Rice men's basketball program.
Scouting UTEP
• UTEP enters Saturday afternoon's game with an 8-5 record and 1-1 in Conference USA. The Miners are coming off a 79-73, double-overtime defeat at UAB on Thursday.
• Junior guard Tae Hardy is the only player in double-figures, averaging a team-high 13.5 points. He's also second on the team in assists with 2.1 per game.
• Senior guard Shamar Givance is second on the team with 9.6 points per game. He's sixth in the league in assists with 4.3 per game and 10th in free throw percentage (.759).
• Junior guard Mario McKinney, Jr., is averaging 9.5 points and junior forward Calvin Solomon leads the team with 5.4 rebounds.
• UTEP is scoring 70.5 points per game while allowing just 66.8.
• The Miners are connecting on 45.7% from the field but just 27.5% from three. Their opponents are hitting just 40.5% from the floor and 28.3% from behind the arc, which is second in the league.
• UTEP is also outrebounding its opponents, 37.0-to-35.1.
• The Miners are also third in the league in steals with 9.4.
• Head coach Joe Golding is in his second season at the helm of the UTEP men's basketball program where he owns a 28-19 record. In 12 seasons as a head coach, Golding is 186-63.
Rice-UTEP Series History
• Rice and UTEP will meet for 44th time overall.
• UTEP holds a 30-14 record in the series, including 18-5 in El Paso.
• The Miners have won 21 of the last 26 in the series.
• This is the first of two meetings between the teams. They will also face off on January 14 in Houston.
• From 1997-2006, the teams met as members of the Western Athletic Conference. Both teams have been a part of Conference USA since 2005.
Next Up
• Rice begins its Conference USA home schedule next Thursday, January 5, when it hosts Louisiana Tech. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed by ESPN+.
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