Finding ways to win

[randy]

Nov 19, 2007: Rice (1-0) @ Eastern Michigan (0-1)


Tip off

Relatively high-scoring game, despite both teams shooting below 45% FG. We capitalized on EMI foul troubles, and scored 17-21 FT in the 1st half. Our bench outscored EMICH, 30 to 8. SG Daniel Aylsworth with 10 pts.


Halftime, Up 43-33


Start of 2nd half

C Curtis Harper scoring 8 of his 10 pts in the 2nd half. PG Jevon Wilson (11 pts) shooting better as compared to our last game. EMI is 0-5 3PT in the 2nd half
11:55, Up 57-44

Called an early timeout because of EMI's 9-0 run, mostly on 2nd chance opportunities. We need to exert more effort in rebounding
8:26, Up 57-53

C Curtis Harper getting a fair share of opportunities inside with 5 off rebounds, but can't get the ball to go in
3:34, Up 63-59

Getting good looks, but still missing shots. Timeout
1:33, Up 64-63

SG Jevon Wilson hits a jumper. EMI missed 2 FTs. On our next possession, C Curtis Harper gets his 2 Fts to fall. A little bit of breathing space now
0:48, Up 68-63

A turn over by EMI, which we followed by another inside basket by C Curtis Harper sealed the game for us.


Final Score: Rice - 72, Eastern Michigan - 66
2 consecutive games where we didn't shoot well. But as long as we play good defense and control the boards, we'll give ourselves a chance to win


Box Scores
[INDENT]Harper 16, 10, 0 (*)
Wilson 16, 3, 3, 2 stls
Aylsworth 10, 1, 2
Hancock 8, 6, 2
Tiggs 6, 8, 1
Smith 6, 1, 2
Sanders 4, 3, 0
Woods 4, 1, 1
Lewis 2, 1, 1, 3 blks
Brown 0, 1, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 38-43%
REB: +1
TO: -3
Pts in paint: Even
2nd chance: +1
Fast break: -7
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Nov 23, 2007: Rice (2-0) @ Morehead St (1-1)


Tip off

MORE committing 11 turn overs in the 1st half. Combined that with our 9 offensive rebounds, and we were once again able to offset our poor shooting percentage. SF Speedy Hancock with 9 pts off the bench


Halftime, Up 33-24


Start of 2nd half

SG Daniel Aylsworth scoring 11 of his 16 pts here in the 2nd half, helping stop several uprisings by MORE
9:26, Up 57-49

We were up by 12 a couple of moments ago, but our 8 2nd half turn overs gave MORE chance to get closer
3:00, Up 67-61

We made a series of defensive stops, and SF Speedy Hancock added 2 more FGs, to get us up by 10 with 1 min remaining. We slowed down the game, and get another close road win


Final Score: Rice - 73, Morehead St - 65


Box Scores
[INDENT]Hancock 21, 2, 3, 2 stls (*)
Aylsworth 16, 2, 0, 5 tos, 4-7 3PT
Harper 10, 11, 2, 2 blks
Wilson 9, 2, 7, 3 stls, 5 tos
Lewis 8, 6, 1, 2 blks
Woods 5, 0, 3
Brown 2, 6, 0
Tiggs 2, 2, 0
Sanders 0, 4, 0
Smith 0, 0, 1
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 47-46%
REB: +12 (+9 off)
TO: -2 (MORE: 20)
Pts in paint: Even
2nd chance: -1
Fast break: -4
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Nov 26, 2007: #21 Pepperdine (2-2) @ Rice (3-0)


Tip off

Balanced offense with 6 players scoring at least 4 pts. We had 11 2nd chance pts in the 1st half


Halftime, Up 43-33


Start of 2nd half

We began to pull away, as PEPP already with 8 turn overs i the 2nd half, to bring their total to 15
12:12, Up 66-42

No way PEPP can make up the huge disparity in FG%


Final Score: Pepperdine - 60, Rice - 96


Box Scores
[INDENT]Lewis 21, 6, 0, 3 tos (*)
Harper 14, 5, 0
Tiggs 12, 5, 0, 2 stls
Wilson 12, 2, 6, 2 stls
Hancock 9, 4, 1
Woods 8, 4, 1
Brown 7, 8, 3
Aylsworth 7, 1, 2
Sanders 6, 3, 1
Smith 0, 1, 2
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 56-37%
REB: +18 (+7 off)
TO: -7
Pts in paint: +36
2nd chance: +9
Fast break: +12
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Nov 30, 2007: St Peter's (4-0) @ Rice (4-0)


Tip off

STPET's PG Josh Tonella leads the nation in scoring with 30.3 ppg

STPET shot just 36% FG in the 1st half, with Tonella limited to 6 pts, 2-8 FG. C Curtis Harper dominant inside the paint, 12 pts and 6 rebs.


Halftime, Up 38-28


Start of 2nd half

STPET's Josh Tonella trying to get his team back, scoring 8 of his 14 pts in the 2nd half. But our size advantage is too much for STPET to handle.
11:48, Up 57-42

STPET cut our lead to 14, but they couldn't make shots towards the end of the game, and not able to sustain their rally.


Final Score: ST Peter's - 54, Rice - 72


Box Scores
[INDENT]Harper 18, 14, 0 (*)
Lewis 12, 7, 0, 2 blks
Wilson 10, 5, 5, 3 stls
Brown 10, 4, 1
Aylsworth 8, 4, 1
Tiggs 7, 3, 1, 3 stls
Woods 4, 2, 3, 3 tos
Hancock 3, 5, 1
Smith 0, 0, 2
Ashman 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 40-34%
REB: +11
TO: -9
Pts in paint: +38
2nd chance: +8
Fast break: +14
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Dec 6, 2007: Rice (5-0) @ South Carolina Upstate (4-2)


Tip off

SCU shot just 20% FG; at one point, they missed 17 straight FG attempts. Total domination so far. C Curtis Harper leads all scorers with 14 pts and 7 rebs.


Halftime, Up 54-16


Start of 2nd half

We coasted along in the 2nd half. Terrific ball movement on offense, resulting in 25 assists


Final Score: Rice - 90, South Carolina Upstate - 50


Box Scores
[INDENT]Harper 16, 9, 3 (*)
Lewis 14, 5, 0
Wilson 11, 6, 4
Tiggs 11, 5, 1
Hancock 10, 4, 3
Brown 6, 4, 1, 2 stls
Aylsworth 5, 2, 1
Sanders 4, 3, 2
Smith 3, 1, 2
Betts 3, 1, 0
Woods 3, 0, 6
Ashman 2, 0, 0
Ramsey 2, 1, 0
Kante 0, 0, 2
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 59-30%
REB: +18
TO: -4
Pts in paint: +22
2nd chance: +3
Fast break: +4
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Dec 9, 2007: (8) Rice (6-0) vs (1) Arizona (3-2)


Tip off

Our inside game was effectively shut down by ARIZ's zone defense, and our outside shots not falling. Fortunately, we were able to match ARIZ's defensive intensity, in this low-scoring game so far; both teams below 30% FG.


Halftime, Tied at 25


Start of 2nd half

Our offense still can't get going, as we fell behind to 25% FG
14:18, Down 27-34

We got into penalty early. We trailed by as many as 8, when we came up with a 10-3 run to get to within 1 pt. But ARIZ able to score from the line, and they recovered quickly
7:31, Down 39-47

We completely collapsed the rest of way as we hit another scoring slump. ARIZ's C Demond Copper completely outclassed our big men, with 17 pts and 20 rebs. No one scored more than 6 pts on our side.


Final Score: Rice - 43, Arizona - 67


Box Scores
[INDENT]Harper 6, 10, 1
Wilson 6, 5, 4, 2 stls
Hancock 6, 4, 2
Tiggs 6, 2, 0
Aylsworth 5, 6, 5,
Lewis 4, 4, 1, 2 blks
Smith 4, 0, 0
Woods 3, 2, 1
Brown 3, 0, 0
Sanders 0, 5, 0
Ashman 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 28-40%
REB: -2
TO: +1
Pts in paint: +10
2nd chance: +4
Fast break: +6
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Dec 14, 2007: Rice (6-1) @ DePaul (2-5)


Tip off

DEP shot just 33% FG, but 7 of their made FGs were from beyond the arc. And were being beaten on the offensive glass, 10 to 1.


Halftime, Up 37-35


Start of 2nd half

We're dong a better job cleaning up the defensive boards. Freshman SF Ross Brown having one of his better games with 13 pts.
10:51, Up 53-44

Back-to-back 3s by PG Brian Smith and SG Daniel Aylsworth gave us a 15 pt lead with 7 mins left. Even as bricked a lot of shots towards the end of the game, DEP wasn't able to cut tour lead past the double digit barrier. DEP only making 1 3PT shot in the 2nd half (they made 7 during the 1st)


Final Score: Rice - 65, DePaul - 52


Box Scores
[INDENT]Harper 18, 8, 1, 2 blks, 8-10 FG (*)
Brown 15, 3, 0
Wilson 9, 5, 7
Aylsworth 7, 2, 0
Smith 7, 0, 2
Lewis 5, 6, 1, 2 blks
Hancock 2, 5, 0
Tiggs 2, 3, 1
Woods 0, 3, 4
Sanders 0, 1, 1
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 42-28%
REB: -5
TO: -4
Pts in paint: +8
2nd chance: -7
Fast break: -9
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Dec 21, 2007: Rice (7-1) @ Green Bay (3-5)


Tip off

UWGB shot just 33% FG, but got a lot of pts from the line (12-16) to keep them in the game. C Curtis Harper dominating once again with 16 pts, 7-9 FG.


Halftime, Up 42-33


Start of 2nd half

Our big men got into foul trouble, and UWGB winning the rebounding battle after that. Our bench players have shot consistently well, and has kept us in the lead.
10:55, Up 53-43

A series of mistakes by UWGB pushed our lead to 21. UWGB came back, mostly via the FT line, and cut our lead to 9 with less than 3 mins left. We had a good finishing kick to eventually stop UWGB's momentum, and seal this game. UWGB had 40 FT attempts.


Final Score: Rice - 83, Green Bay - 66


Box Scores
[INDENT]Harper 21, 6, 0, 9-11 FG (*)
Aylsworth 12, 3, 3
Lewis 12, 2, 0
Sanders 10, 3, 1
Hancock 8, 1, 2
Tiggs 6, 4, 0, 3 tos, fouled out
Wilson 6, 1, 5, 3 tos
Woods 4, 2, 4, 3 tos
Smith 4, 0, 7, 3 stls, 4 tos
Brown 0, 1, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 59-28%
REB: -7
TO: -2
Pts in paint: +30
2nd chance: -2
Fast break: +7
[/INDENT]

[randy]

Dec 28, 2007: Houston (6-4, 0-0) @ Rice (8-1, 0-0)


Tip off

17 turn overs by HOU in the 1st half, severely limiting their scoring opportunities. Our 2 freshmen leading the way, C Curtis Harper and SF Ross Brown with 16 and 11 pts respectively


Halftime, Up 45-35


Start of 2nd half

HOU with a relatively better job in handling the ball in the 2nd half, but didn't really posed a threat of a rally. We led by as many as 30, partially due to our passing (21 assists).


Final Score: Houston - 63, Rice - 81


Box Scores
[INDENT]Harper 18, 6, 3, 2 blks, 9-10 FG (*)
Brown 14, 4, 1
Aylsworth 13, 2, 0
Wilson 7, 3, 6, 3 tos
Lewis 6, 3, 1
Smith 5, 1, 4, 2 stls
Ashman 5, 0, 0
Tiggs 4, 3, 1
Woods 3, 3, 4
Hancock 3, 1, 0
Sanders 3, 1, 0
Betts 0, 0, 1
Kante 0, 0, 0
Ramsey 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 49-50%
REB: -1
TO: -14 (HOU: 23)
Pts in paint: +22
2nd chance: Even
Fast break: +2
[/INDENT]


CUSA Standings

1. Memphis, 1-0 (W1)
2. Rice, 1-0 (W1)
3. Southern Mississippi, 1-0 (W1)
4. Marshall, 1-0 (W1)
5. Tulsa 1-0 (W1)
6. Texas-El Paso, 1-0 (W1)
7. Houston, 0-1 (L1)
8. Central Florida, 0-1 (L1)
9. East Carolina, 0-1 (L1)
10. Southern Methodist, 0-1 (L1)
11. Alabama-Birmingham, 0-1 (L1)
12. Tulane, 0-1 (L1)

[randy]

Dec 31, 2007: Alabama-Birmingham (3-7, 0-1) @ Rice (9-1, 1-0)


Tip off

Last season's 0-18 team kept close with us for most of the 1st half, until the last 2 mins. UAB shot better than us, 48% to 44% FG, but we converted 9 more FTs. C Curtis Harper with 14 pts and 7 rebs, while SG Jevon Wilson contributing 9 pts.


Halftime, Up 44-33


Start of 2nd half

UAB surprised us with a 7-0 run to start the 2nd half, and our lead was suddenly down to just 4. I had to wake the team, and they buckled down to work. UAB in early penalty
11:36, Up 62-46

SG Speedy Hancock, who was scoreless in the 1st half, has exploded for 16 pts here in the 2nd. Another bench player, SG Daniel Aylsworth, already with 17 pts and those 2 players instrumental in blowing this game wide open. We led by 31 pts with just over 6 mins remaining. Bench warmers finished the game


Final Score: Alabama-Birmingham - 63, Rice - 92


Box Scores
[INDENT]Hancock 18, 2, 2, 2 stls (*)
Aylsworth 17, 6, 1, 3-7 3PT
Harper 14, 9, 1
Wilson 14, 2, 3, 2 stls
Lewis 7, 2, 0
Brown 5, 4, 1, 2 stls
Smith 5, 1, 3
Woods 4, 0, 3
Tiggs 3, 3, 2
Betts 3, 1, 0
Kante 2, 2, 1
Ashman 0, 2, 0
Ramsey 0, 2, 0
Sanders 0, 1, 1
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 48-43%
REB: +8
TO: -13 (UAB: 20)
Pts in paint: +20
2nd chance: +2
Fast break: +17
[/INDENT]


CUSA Standings

1. Memphis, 2-0 (W2)
2. Rice, 2-0 (W2)
3. Southern Mississippi, 2-0 (W2)
4. Marshall, 2-0 (W2)
5. Southern Methodist, 1-1 (W1)
6. Central Florida, 1-1 (W1)
7. Tulsa 1-1 (L1)
8. Texas-El Paso, 1-1 (L1)
9. Alabama-Birmingham, 0-2 (L2)
10. Houston, 0-2 (L2)
11. Tulane, 0-2 (L2)
12. East Carolina, 0-2 (L2)