Saturday, March 19
Daytona Beach, FL
6:30 p.m.
Rice University
-1617,711 CUSA
64
vs
65
Ohio
25-9,14-6MAC
1
2
F
Ohio
27
38
65
Rice
26
38
64
Rice Drops Heartbreaker to Ohio, 65-64
3/19/2022 11:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In a matter of seconds, Rice went from elation to heartbreak as Ohio's Mark Sears' followed Carl Pierre's jumper with a floating layup at the buzzer, ending the Owls' season with a 65-64 defeat in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational.
The Story
Rice struggled out of the gate, missing its first three shots while turning the ball over three times as Ohio scored the first six points. Mylyjael Poteat got the Owls on the board with a jumper. But the Bobcats used a 13-4 run to take its largest lead of the game, 19-6, with 8:13 to play. However, Rice settled down and began to slice into the lead. Two straight layups by Chris Mullins and a three-pointer from Carl Pierre made it a six-point game. After a layup by Ohio, Travis Evee made a three-pointer. Jason Carter then converted a three-point play to push Ohio's lead to 24-16, but layups by Evee and Max Fiedler sent the Owls on an 8-0 that tied the game at 24. After Ben Vander Plas made one-of-two free throws, Fiedler made a layup that gave Rice its first lead of the game. But a layup by Vander Plas sent the Owls into halftime trailing 27-26.
Ohio opened the second half with two straight baskets, but Fiedler and Pierre answered with two of their own. However, the Bobcats scored seven of the next nine points to take a six-point lead 4:32 into the half. The teams traded baskets over the next two minutes before Ohio scored five straight to push its lead to nine. Evee then hit a three to cut the deficit to six, but after going back-and-forth, Ben Roderick hit a three-pointer that gave the Bobcats its largest lead of the half, 54-44, with 5:24 to play.
But again, the Owls would not go away, going on a 10-2 run to pull within two points with three minutes left. Vander Plas converted a three-point play extending the lead to five, but Rice scored six straight, the last of which by Evee that gave it a 60-59 lead with a minute to play. Ohio regained the lead on a Sears jumper and after Evee turned the ball over, made two free throws. Mullins immediately drove in for a layup with 12 seconds left, cutting the deficit to one. Ohio then tried to throw a baseball pass down the court, but threw it out of bounds, giving Rice the ball under the basket. After getting the ball to Pierre, he made a jumper with five seconds left, giving the Owls the lead. But Sears took the inbounds pass, drove the length of the court, and got the ball over Evee and Fiedler, putting it off the backboard and in for the victory.
The Stats
Rice connected on 45.9% (28-of-61) from the field but just 23.5% (4-of-17) from three. Ohio was held to 39.1% (25-of-64) from the floor 18.2% (4-of-22) from three. Rice also outrebounded the Bobcats, 41-to-32.
What Scott Pera Had to Say
"That was two really good plays by two really good players, first by Carl (Pierre) and then by Mark Sears. Whoever had the ball last was going to win. We got down early, but then we showed up. But, this is hard. These are such great kids. But we'll be better because of this. This program is going up and it's going to keep going up. It's a gut-punch, but that's life. That's sports."
Notes
• Rice finished the season with a 16-17 record.
• This was the first meeting between Rice and Ohio.
• With 13 assists, Rice finished the season with 511 to set a new school record.
• Graduate student Carl Pierre led the team with 20 points and eight rebounds.
• It was his team-leading eighth 20-point game and the 24th of his career.
• Pierre finished the season with 508 points, becoming the 24th player in school history to score 500 points in a season.
• Second-year freshman Mylyjael Poteat recorded his second career double-double with 10 points and a team and career-high 11 rebounds.
• Sophomore Travis Evee scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds, and had four assists
• Senior Chris Mullins scored 11 points and had a game-high five assists.
• Sophomore Max Fiedler had eight points and six rebounds.
• With six boards, Fiedler became the first player in school history to record 300 points, 250 rebounds, and 100 assists.
The Story
Rice struggled out of the gate, missing its first three shots while turning the ball over three times as Ohio scored the first six points. Mylyjael Poteat got the Owls on the board with a jumper. But the Bobcats used a 13-4 run to take its largest lead of the game, 19-6, with 8:13 to play. However, Rice settled down and began to slice into the lead. Two straight layups by Chris Mullins and a three-pointer from Carl Pierre made it a six-point game. After a layup by Ohio, Travis Evee made a three-pointer. Jason Carter then converted a three-point play to push Ohio's lead to 24-16, but layups by Evee and Max Fiedler sent the Owls on an 8-0 that tied the game at 24. After Ben Vander Plas made one-of-two free throws, Fiedler made a layup that gave Rice its first lead of the game. But a layup by Vander Plas sent the Owls into halftime trailing 27-26.
Ohio opened the second half with two straight baskets, but Fiedler and Pierre answered with two of their own. However, the Bobcats scored seven of the next nine points to take a six-point lead 4:32 into the half. The teams traded baskets over the next two minutes before Ohio scored five straight to push its lead to nine. Evee then hit a three to cut the deficit to six, but after going back-and-forth, Ben Roderick hit a three-pointer that gave the Bobcats its largest lead of the half, 54-44, with 5:24 to play.
But again, the Owls would not go away, going on a 10-2 run to pull within two points with three minutes left. Vander Plas converted a three-point play extending the lead to five, but Rice scored six straight, the last of which by Evee that gave it a 60-59 lead with a minute to play. Ohio regained the lead on a Sears jumper and after Evee turned the ball over, made two free throws. Mullins immediately drove in for a layup with 12 seconds left, cutting the deficit to one. Ohio then tried to throw a baseball pass down the court, but threw it out of bounds, giving Rice the ball under the basket. After getting the ball to Pierre, he made a jumper with five seconds left, giving the Owls the lead. But Sears took the inbounds pass, drove the length of the court, and got the ball over Evee and Fiedler, putting it off the backboard and in for the victory.
The Stats
Rice connected on 45.9% (28-of-61) from the field but just 23.5% (4-of-17) from three. Ohio was held to 39.1% (25-of-64) from the floor 18.2% (4-of-22) from three. Rice also outrebounded the Bobcats, 41-to-32.
What Scott Pera Had to Say
"That was two really good plays by two really good players, first by Carl (Pierre) and then by Mark Sears. Whoever had the ball last was going to win. We got down early, but then we showed up. But, this is hard. These are such great kids. But we'll be better because of this. This program is going up and it's going to keep going up. It's a gut-punch, but that's life. That's sports."
Notes
• Rice finished the season with a 16-17 record.
• This was the first meeting between Rice and Ohio.
• With 13 assists, Rice finished the season with 511 to set a new school record.
• Graduate student Carl Pierre led the team with 20 points and eight rebounds.
• It was his team-leading eighth 20-point game and the 24th of his career.
• Pierre finished the season with 508 points, becoming the 24th player in school history to score 500 points in a season.
• Second-year freshman Mylyjael Poteat recorded his second career double-double with 10 points and a team and career-high 11 rebounds.
• Sophomore Travis Evee scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds, and had four assists
• Senior Chris Mullins scored 11 points and had a game-high five assists.
• Sophomore Max Fiedler had eight points and six rebounds.
• With six boards, Fiedler became the first player in school history to record 300 points, 250 rebounds, and 100 assists.
Team Stats
Ohio
Rice
FG%
.391
.459
3FG%
.182
.235
FT%
.733
.800
RB
32
41
TO
8
14
STL
10
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
9
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
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