Men’s Basketball Closes Road Trip at North Texas

HOUSTON — Rice concludes its road trip this Thursday, Jan. 19, when it travels to Denton to face North Texas. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and it will be streamed by ESPN+.

Game 19
What: Rice (13-5, 4-3) at North Texas (15-4, 6-2)
When: Thursday, January 19 at 7 p.m.
Where: Denton, Texas
Stadium: The Super Pit (10,500)
Stream: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: North Texas leads 22-8 (11-1 in Denton)

Scouting Rice
• Rice enters Thursday's game with a 13-5 record and 4-3 in Conference USA. The Owls are coming off an 88-81, overtime victory at UTSA on Monday.
• Junior guard and Preseason All-Conference USA honoree Quincy Olivari leads the team and is second in C-USA with 19.1 points per game. He's also third on the team in rebounds per game (5.3) while placing third in the league in three-pointers made per game (2.7), seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.364), and ninth in free throw percentage (.788).
• Junior guard Travis Evee is seventh in the league with 16.6 points per game. He's also third in free throw percentage (.840), fourth three-pointers made per game (2.7), fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.390), and eighth in field goal percentage (.423).
• Junior forward Max Fiedler is scoring 10.9 points per game while leading the country in field goal percentage, connecting on 77.8% from the field. He's also leading C-USA with 8.5 rebounds per game, 5.4 assists per game and five double-doubles.
• Freshman guard Mekhi Mason is fourth on team with 9.7 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game and 2.2 assists per game.
• Sophomore guard Cameron Sheffield is scoring 7.5 points per game while placing second on the team and seventh in C-USA with 6.5 rebounds per game.
• Rice is scoring 82.1 points per game, which is second in Conference USA and 16th in the country, while allowing 74.4.
• The Owls are connecting on a league-best 48.7% from the field, which is 20th in the nation, including 36.1% from three. Their opponents are hitting 45.3% from the floor and 33.3% from behind the arc.
• Rice is also outrebounding its opponents, 37.8-to-33.2.
• Rice leads the conference in assists per game (17.7), which is also 13th in the country, and is second in three-pointers made per game (9.2).
• Head coach Scott Pera is in his sixth season leading the Rice men's basketball program.

Scouting North Texas
• North Texas enters Thursday's game with a 15-4 record and 6-2 in Conference USA. The Mean Green have won five of their last six games after defeating FIU on Monday, 64-57.
• Senior guard Tylor Perry leads the Mean Green in scoring, averaging 17.6 points, good for fifth in the league. He's also second in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.470) and three-pointers made per game (3.2), fourth in free throw percentage (.824) and sixth in field goal percentage (.457).
• Senior guard Kai Huntsberry is second on the team with 11.3 points per game.
• Junior forward Abou Ousmane is third on the team with 11.2 points. He's also fifth in C-USA in blocks per game (1.4) and eighth in rebounds per game (6.2).
• North Texas is scoring just 62.3 points per game but are allowing a league-low 54.4
• The Mean Green are connecting on 40.9% from the field and 33.6% from three. Their opponents are hitting just 39.3% from the floor and 30.7% from behind the arc, which are first and second in the conference, respectively.
• UNT is outrebounding its opponents, 35,0-to-29.2.
• Head coach Grant McCasland is in his sixth season at the helm of the North Texas men's basketball program where he owns a 119-62 record. In nine seasons as a head coach, McCasland is 194-86.

Rice-North Texas Series History
• Rice and North Texas will meet for the first time this year and the 31st time overall.
• North Texas holds a 22-8 record in the series, including an 11-1 mark in Denton.
• The Owls are seeking just their second victory in Denton. Rice's lone victory came on Feb. 4, 2017, a 95-80 decision.
• This is the first of two meetings between the schools. They will also face off on Feb. 4 in Houston.
• UNT has won the last four meetings and 10 of the last 11 dating back to 2018.
• The first 10 meetings came as non-conference foes. Since 2014, the teams have competed as conference foes when North Texas joined Conference USA. The Mean Green hold a 14-6 record as conference opponents.

Next Up
• Rice returns home next Thursday, January 26, when it hosts Charlotte. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed by ESPN+.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results