Men’s Hoops Continues Homestand against UTEP

HOUSTON — Rice continues its homestand this Saturday, February 5, when it hosts UTEP. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT and will be streamed by CUSAtv.

Game 22
What: Rice vs. UTEP
When: Saturday, February 5 at 2 p.m. CT
Where: Houston, Texas
Arena: Tudor Fieldhouse (5,208)
Watch: CUSAtv
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: UTEP leads 28-14 (UTEP leads 9-8 in Houston)

Scouting Rice
• Rice enters Saturday afternoon's contest with a 13-8 record. The Owls are 6-4 in Conference USA after defeating UTSA on Thursday, 91-78.
• Guard Carl Pierre leads the team and is seventh in the conference with 15.3 points per game while pulling down 4.3 rebounds per game. He leads C-USA in three-point field goal percentage (44.7%), is second in three-pointers made per game (3.2), and third in field goal percentage (49.3%).
• Guard Travis Evee is second on the team with 14.6 points per game while adding 3.3 rebounds per game and 3.0 assists per game. Evee is third in the league in three-pointers made per game (2.7) and fourth in three-point field goal percentage (41.2%). He's also connecting on 48.1% from the field.
• Sophomore Quincy Olivari is averaging 9.9 points per game and is second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game.
• Forward Max Fiedler is averaging 9.5 points per game and is third in the conference with 7.9 rebounds per game. He leads the team in field goal percentage, connecting on 59.3% from the field and assists per game (3.2). He's also tied for fifth in the conference with five double-doubles.
• Guard Chris Mullins is scoring 9.1 points per game while placing third on the team with 2.7 assists per game.
• Rice is averaging 76.5 points per game, good for third in Conference USA while allowing 73.6.
• The Owls are connecting on 46.5% from the field, which is second in the league while leading the conference in three-point field goal percentage (37.9%). They are allowing 43.9% from the floor and 31.8% from beyond the arc, good for third in the conference.
• Rice is outrebounding the opposition, 36.6-to-34.6.
• Rice leads the league in assists with 16.0 while placing second in three-pointers per game with 9.6.
• Head coach Scott Pera is in his fifth season leading the Rice men's basketball program. He holds a record of 63-81.

Scouting UTEP
• UTEP enters Saturday afternoon's contest with a 13-8 record. The Miners are 6-3 in Conference USA and are riding a five-game winning streak after defeating FIU last Saturday, 79-68.
• Guard Souley Boum leads the squad and is second in the league with 19.9 points per game. He's also sixth in the conference in free throw percentage (86.8%) and seventh in steals (1.5).
• Guard Jamal Bieniemy is second on the team with 14.6 points per game. He's also fifth in the league in steals (1.7), ninth in assists (3.7), and 10th in three-pointers made per game (2.4).
• Guard Keonte Kennedy is third on the team with 13.3 points while pulling down a team-high 5.9 rebounds.
• UTEP is averaging 69.0 points per game but is allowing just 65.0, good for third in the conference.
• The Miners are connecting on 41.7% from the field and 35.1% from three. They are allowing 43.4% from the floor and 32.6% from beyond the arc.
• UTEP is being outrebounded by its opponents, 36.5-to-32.7.
• The Miners are also second in the league in free throw percentage, connecting on 75.6% from the charity stripe.
• Head coach Joe Golding is in his first season at the helm of the UTEP men's basketball program where he owns a 13-8 record. In 11 seasons as a head coach, Golding is 170-152.

Rice-UTEP Series History
• Rice and UTEP will meet for 43rd time overall.
• UTEP holds a 28-14 record in the series but is just 9-8 in games played in Houston.
• The Miners have won 19 of the last 24.
• Rice is looking to win back-to-back games in the series for the first time since sweeping a two-game set in 2012.
• Last year, the teams split a series in El Paso with UTEP taking a 101-89 decision before the Owls earned a split with a 71-68 victory.
• 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 steps out of conference for the final time when it hosts Jarvis Christian next Tuesday, Feb. 8. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and it will be streamed by CUSAtv.

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