Saturday, December 20
Malibu, CA
8 p.m.
Rice University
at
Pepperdine
Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
Men’s Basketball Closes Non-Conference Play at Pepperdine
12/19/2025 6:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HOUSTON — Rice closes its non-conference slate this Saturday, Dec. 20, when it travels to Malibu, Calif., to face Pepperdine. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT and the game will be streamed by ESPN+.
Game 13
What: Rice (6-6) at Pepperdine (4-8)
When: Saturday, December 20 at 8 p.m. CT
Where: Malibu, Calif.
Stadium: Firestone Fieldhouse (3,104)
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Pepperdine leads 3-2 (Pepperdine leads 2-0 in Malibu)
Scouting Rice
• Rice enters Saturday's game with a 6-6 record. The Owls have won four straight after defeating Southwestern Christian on Wednesday, 94-47.
• Senior guard/forward Nick Anderson leads the team with 14.5 points per game while adding 3.7 rebounds. He leads the league in free throw percentage (93.0%) and is second in three-point field goal percentage (41.7%) from beyond the arc, while placing sixth in three-pointers per game (2.5).
• Graduate guard Trae Broadnax is second on the team with 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds, and leads with 3.0 assists. He's also connecting on 86.7% from the free throw line, good for fifth in the conference, and 36.2% from three.
• Redshirt senior guard Jalen Smith is scoring 12.9 points per game and is second on the team lead with 2.9 assists. He is leading the team, connecting on 43.3% from three and is eighth in in the conference with 2.4 three-pointers per game.
• Junior forward Jimmy Oladokun, Jr., leads the team with 5.4 rebounds and senior forward Andrew Akuchie is pulling down 4.4 boards.
• Rice is averaging 77.3 points per game while allowing 71.3.
• The Owls are connecting on 43.2% from the field and are second in the American in three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 38.0% from beyond the arc. Their opponents are connecting on 42.2% from the floor, and 30.7% from three, which is also third in the league.
• Rice is outrebounding its opponents, 39.6-to-36.6.
• The Owls are also third in the conference in three-pointers per game (9.3).
• Head coach Rob Lanier is in his second season at the helm of the Rice men's basketball program.
Scouting Pepperdine
• Pepperdine enters Saturday's game with a 4-8 record. The Waves have lost six of their last seven after falling at Long Beach State on Thursday, 81-78.
• Graduate student guard/forward Javon Cooley leads the team with 13.8 points. He leads the team in both field goal percentage (47.7%) and three-point field goal percentage (34.7%), while placing third in the West Coast Conference in free throw percentage, connecting on 94.0% from the charity stripe.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Aaron Clark is second on the team with 14.3 points while adding 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He's also eighth in the league with 1.5 steals.
• Sophomore guard Styles Phipps is scoring 12.8 points and leads the team with 6.7 rebounds (4th in WCC) and 5.4 assists (3rd in WCC).
• Sophomore forward Danilo Dozic is adding 11.9 points and connecting on 77.8% from the free throw line.
• Pepperdine is scoring 73.7 points per game, but is allowing 74.8.
• The Waves are connecting on 44.1% from the floor and 29.7% from three. Their opponents are hitting on 44.4% from the floor, but just 33.5% from three.
• Pepperdine is outrebounding its opposition, 36.0-to-32.3.
• The Waves are third in the league in free throw percentage, connecting on 78.2% from the charity stripe.
• Head coach Ed Schilling is in his second season at the helm of the Pepperdine men's basketball program, where he has a 17-30 record.
Rice-Pepperdine Series History
• Rice and Pepperdine will meet for the third time in the last five years and the just the sixth time overall.
• Pepperdine leads the series, 3-2, including both previous meetings in Malibu.
• The teams first met in 1945 in the All-College Tournament with the Waves taking a 48-35 decision.
• They then met 1950 with the Owls earning a 68-65 overtime victory in Houston.
• It would be over 30 years before they met again, this time in 1981 with Pepperdine earning the win, 77-64, in their only meeting in Malibu.
• The teams then met in back-to-back season openers in 2021 and 2022, with both teams winning at home.
Next Up
• Rice will take a break for Christmas before returning to the court when it opens American Conference play at Tulsa on Dec. 31. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPNU.
Game 13
What: Rice (6-6) at Pepperdine (4-8)
When: Saturday, December 20 at 8 p.m. CT
Where: Malibu, Calif.
Stadium: Firestone Fieldhouse (3,104)
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Pepperdine leads 3-2 (Pepperdine leads 2-0 in Malibu)
Scouting Rice
• Rice enters Saturday's game with a 6-6 record. The Owls have won four straight after defeating Southwestern Christian on Wednesday, 94-47.
• Senior guard/forward Nick Anderson leads the team with 14.5 points per game while adding 3.7 rebounds. He leads the league in free throw percentage (93.0%) and is second in three-point field goal percentage (41.7%) from beyond the arc, while placing sixth in three-pointers per game (2.5).
• Graduate guard Trae Broadnax is second on the team with 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds, and leads with 3.0 assists. He's also connecting on 86.7% from the free throw line, good for fifth in the conference, and 36.2% from three.
• Redshirt senior guard Jalen Smith is scoring 12.9 points per game and is second on the team lead with 2.9 assists. He is leading the team, connecting on 43.3% from three and is eighth in in the conference with 2.4 three-pointers per game.
• Junior forward Jimmy Oladokun, Jr., leads the team with 5.4 rebounds and senior forward Andrew Akuchie is pulling down 4.4 boards.
• Rice is averaging 77.3 points per game while allowing 71.3.
• The Owls are connecting on 43.2% from the field and are second in the American in three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 38.0% from beyond the arc. Their opponents are connecting on 42.2% from the floor, and 30.7% from three, which is also third in the league.
• Rice is outrebounding its opponents, 39.6-to-36.6.
• The Owls are also third in the conference in three-pointers per game (9.3).
• Head coach Rob Lanier is in his second season at the helm of the Rice men's basketball program.
Scouting Pepperdine
• Pepperdine enters Saturday's game with a 4-8 record. The Waves have lost six of their last seven after falling at Long Beach State on Thursday, 81-78.
• Graduate student guard/forward Javon Cooley leads the team with 13.8 points. He leads the team in both field goal percentage (47.7%) and three-point field goal percentage (34.7%), while placing third in the West Coast Conference in free throw percentage, connecting on 94.0% from the charity stripe.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Aaron Clark is second on the team with 14.3 points while adding 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He's also eighth in the league with 1.5 steals.
• Sophomore guard Styles Phipps is scoring 12.8 points and leads the team with 6.7 rebounds (4th in WCC) and 5.4 assists (3rd in WCC).
• Sophomore forward Danilo Dozic is adding 11.9 points and connecting on 77.8% from the free throw line.
• Pepperdine is scoring 73.7 points per game, but is allowing 74.8.
• The Waves are connecting on 44.1% from the floor and 29.7% from three. Their opponents are hitting on 44.4% from the floor, but just 33.5% from three.
• Pepperdine is outrebounding its opposition, 36.0-to-32.3.
• The Waves are third in the league in free throw percentage, connecting on 78.2% from the charity stripe.
• Head coach Ed Schilling is in his second season at the helm of the Pepperdine men's basketball program, where he has a 17-30 record.
Rice-Pepperdine Series History
• Rice and Pepperdine will meet for the third time in the last five years and the just the sixth time overall.
• Pepperdine leads the series, 3-2, including both previous meetings in Malibu.
• The teams first met in 1945 in the All-College Tournament with the Waves taking a 48-35 decision.
• They then met 1950 with the Owls earning a 68-65 overtime victory in Houston.
• It would be over 30 years before they met again, this time in 1981 with Pepperdine earning the win, 77-64, in their only meeting in Malibu.
• The teams then met in back-to-back season openers in 2021 and 2022, with both teams winning at home.
Next Up
• Rice will take a break for Christmas before returning to the court when it opens American Conference play at Tulsa on Dec. 31. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPNU.
Players Mentioned
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