Rally Falls Short as Rice Drops Tough Contest to Tulsa

Saturday, January 24

Houston, TX

3:30 p.m.

Rice University

8-12,2-5American

Tulsa

17-3,5-2American

Tulsa

Rice

Rally Falls Short as Rice Drops Tough Contest to Tulsa

1/24/2026 8:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Final Book (PDF)

By: Tim Andrzejewski (tra3@rice.edu)

HOUSTON — Rice rallied from a 22-point deficit to cut it to three, but Tulsa held off the hard-charging Owls, as they fell, 87-81, Saturday afternoon from Tudor Fieldhouse.

The Story
Rice missed its first five shots as Tulsa scored the first 16 points of the game. Cam Carroll got the Owls on the board with a three-pointer, 5:19 into the game. TU answered with a pair of threes of its own. Trae Broadnax scored five straight points as Rice went on a 10-2 run to pull within 24-13 midway through the half. The teams traded baskets over the next 2:20 before the Golden Hurricane went on an 11-1 run to take their largest lead of the half, 41-19, with 4:51 remaining. Jalen Smit hit back-to-back threes, but Tulsa answered with threes from Miles Barnstable and David Green. After exchanging points, the Owls forced a turnover, and Nick Anderson found Eternity Eguagie for a dunk, as Rice went into halftime trailing, 51-31. Tulsa connected on 60.7% for the half and 66.7% from three.

Jalen Smith got things going for Rice in the second half, scoring 11 of Rice's 13 points in the first five minutes, including three three-pointers, as it cut the deficit to 57-44. After going back-and-forth, Ade Popoola made a three to push the lead back to 16. Broadnax made a layup, and Nick Anderson hit a three. After a Tulsa basket, the Owls went on an 8-0 run, pulling to within five with 6:03 remaining. TU scored six of the next eight points. Anderson made two free throws, but a three-point play by Tyler Behrend extended Tulsa's lead to 10. Rice, though, would not go away. Two straight buckets from Smith and three from Anderson cut the deficit to 77-74 with 1:44 to play. But a David Green dunk, followed by eight straight free throws to put the game away.

The Stats
Rice connected on 50.0% (30-of-60) from the field, 46.2% (12-of-26) from three, and 64.3% (9-of-14) from the free throw line. Tulsa hit 48.2% (27-of-56) from the floor, 44.0% (11-of-25) from three, and 78.6% (22-of-28) from the free throw line. Rice also outrebounded the Golden Hurricane, 34-to-32.

What Head Coach Rob Lanier Had to Say
"It was a tale of two halves. In the first half, we were playing against the Boogeyman; a team that beat us so soundly on their home court that it was evident that we didn't approach the game with great confidence. We challenged them at halftime, and sure enough, instead of playing against the Boogeyman in the second half, we were just playing against another conference opponent. We got it down to three late in the game. We needed to make some plays, and then it becomes about that. There's some great takeaways now in the aftermath. The disappointment is in the outcome and that we didn't give ourselves much of a chance in the first half."

Notes
• Rice fell to 8-12 on the year, and 2-5 in the American Conference.
• Rice moves to 8-32 all-time against Tulsa.
• The Owls are 6-11 all-time in Houston.
• Rice scored at least 80 points for the sixth time this year.
• The Owls connected on 50.0% from the field, the fifth time this year it made at least 50.0% from the floor.
• Rice made 12 three-pointers, the ninth time this season it made at least 10 threes.
• G Jalen Smith led all players with a career-high 24 points and tied a career-high with five three-pointers.
• It was his first career 20-point game.
• It was also his 12^th double-figure scoring game this year, and the 25^th of his career.
• G Trae Broadnax scored 21 points, grabbed five rebounds, and had a game-high four assists.
• It is his fourth 20-point game in the last five games, and his fifth of the season.
• It was his team-high 18^th double-figure scoring game this year, and the 90^th of his career.
• It is the second time this year that two players scored 20 points.
• G Nick Anderson scored 18 points on four three-pointers and grabbed four rebounds.
• It is his 16^th double-figure scoring game this year, and the 62^nd of his career.
• G Eternity Eguagie scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds.
• It was his seventh double-figure scoring game this year.
• F Jimmy Oladokun, Jr., grabbed a game-high eight rebounds and tied a career-high with three steals.

Next Up
Rice begins a two-game road swing through North Carolina this Wednesday, Jan. 28, when it travels to Greenville, N.C., to face East Carolina. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPNU.