Men’s Basketball Returns Home to Face Charlotte

HOUSTON — Rice returns home this Thursday, Jan. 26, when it faces Charlotte. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and it will be streamed by ESPN+.

Game 20
What: Rice (14-5, 5-3) vs. Charlotte (13-7, 4-5)
When: Thursday, January 26 at 7 p.m.
Where: Houston, Texas
Stadium: Tudor Fieldhouse (5,208)
Stream: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Rice leads 9-6 (4-4 in Houston)

Scouting Rice
• Rice enters Thursday's game with a 14-5 record and 5-3 in Conference USA. The Owls have won three straight games after defeating North Texas last Thursday, 72-60.
• Junior guard and Preseason All-Conference USA honoree Quincy Olivari leads the team and is third in C-USA with 19.2 points per game. He's also third on the team in rebounds per game (5.4) while placing fourth in the league in three-pointers made per game (2.6), fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.360), and sixth in free throw percentage (.816) and field goal percentage (.433).
• Junior guard Travis Evee is seventh in the league with 16.3 points per game. He's also third in free throw percentage (.849) and three-point field goal percentage (.390), and fifth in three-pointers made per game (2.5).
• Junior forward Max Fiedler is scoring 11.3 points per game while leading the country in field goal percentage, connecting on 77.3% from the field. He's also leading C-USA with 5.3 assists per game, and is second with 8.3 rebounds per game and five double-doubles.
• Freshman guard Mekhi Mason is fourth on team with 9.5 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game and 2.2 assists per game.
• Sophomore guard Cameron Sheffield is scoring 7.6 points per game while placing second on the team and seventh in C-USA with 6.5 rebounds per game.
• Rice is scoring 81.5 points per game, which is second in Conference USA and 20th in the country, while allowing 73.6.
• The Owls are connecting on a league-best 48.9% from the field, which is 16th in the nation, including 36.2% from three. Their opponents are hitting 45.0% from the floor and 33.6% from behind the arc.
• Rice is also outrebounding its opponents, 37.5-to-32.9.
• Rice leads the conference in assists per game (17.4), which is also 14th in the country, and is second in three-pointers made per game (8.8).
• Head coach Scott Pera is in his sixth season leading the Rice men's basketball program.

Scouting Charlotte
• Charlotte enters Thursday's game with a 13-7 record and 4-5 in Conference USA. The 49ers have lost four of their last six games despite defeating WKU last Saturday, 75-71.
• Redshirt junior guard Brice Williams leads the Charlotte in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game.
• Redshirt sophomore forward/center Aly Khalifa is second on the team with 11.2 points per game. He also leads the team and is fourth in the league with 7.2 rebounds per game while placing 10th in assists (3.2).
• Sophomore forward Igor Milicic, Jr., is third on the team with 8.9 points and redshirt sophomore guard Lu'Cye Patterson is scoring 8.6 points while placing ninth in the league with 3.4 assists.
• Charlotte is scoring just 68.3 points per game but are allowing just 61.4, the second fewest in the league.
• The 49ers are connecting on 48.2% from the field and 38.2% from three, good for second and first in Conference USA. Their opponents are hitting just 41.7% from the floor and 35.8% from behind the arc.
• Charlotte is outrebounding its opponents, 30.8-to-28.7.
• Charlotte also leads the league in free throw percentage, connecting on 74.1% from the free throw line.
• Head coach Ron Sanchez is in his fourth season at the helm of the Charlotte men's basketball program where he owns a 63-71 record.

Rice-Charlotte Series History
• Rice and Charlotte will meet for the first time this year and the 16th time overall.
• Rice holds an 9-6 advantage in the series, but the series is tied at four when played in Houston.
• The Owls have won seven of the last nine meetings dating back to 2017.
• The teams will also meet in Charlotte on Feb. 25.

Next Up
• Rice closes its homestand this Saturday, January 28, when it hosts UAB. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be streamed by ESPN+.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results