Tip off
MARS with a good start, 6-7 FG, and we got down early 2-12. MARS doing a better job in controlling the slow pace of the game. We climbed back slowly, by playing good defense, and finally got the leat 17-16 with 7 mins remaining. There were at least 6 lead canges after that. MARS giving us a hard time once again. Both teams not good in handling the ball; MARS with 11 turn overs, while we had 9.
Halftime, Up 28-25
Start of 2nd half
We went exclusively m2m on defense, hoping it might force MARS to play a little faster. It did somehow, but MARS able to score enough pts and not allowing us to establish a big lead.
12:56, Up 41-36
The lead hasn't moved that much
5:54, Up 52-47
We made back-to-back turn overs, and just got into penalty. MARS 2 FTs puts them to within 3. Timeout
3:29, Up 56-53
PG Brent Evans has 6 turn overs. I just replaced him with PG Jovan Barker who has 4 errors. Barker made 2 consecutive turn overs, and MARS scored both time in transition. We're now down. Another timeout. I will put in 3rd string PG Hayletts Johnson
2:52, Down 56-57
RICE: SG David Williams missed a 3
MARS: Bad pass. Both teams with 20 turn overs
RICE: Williams from the same spot earlier. This time he drains the 3! Williams with 27 pts, 7 3s
1:57, Up 59-57
MARS: Foul on SF Andre McFadden. 1-and-1 for MARS. They hit both
1:41, Tied at 59
RICE: Bad pass by Williams. Turn over #21 for us
MARS: Shot missed. Timeout
0:53, Tied at 59
RICE: Williams from thetop of the key. Williams hesitates. Passed the ball to PG Hayletts Johnson. Johnson drives. Missed. Loose ball, belongs to MARS
MARS: SF Andre McFadden gets a block. But MARS recovers the ball. We almost got a steal. Ball still with MARS. They reset their play. Foul called on C Scott Fountain. 1-and-1 for MARS' C Treva Mouton who is currently 1-2 FT today. Mouton splits. I call my last timeout
0:15, Down 59-60
Williams missed his jumper. We tried the foul, but MARS able to waste some clock, and even made a 3 at the buzzer.
65 game winning streak is over. It's been almost 23 months we last tasted defeat. Oh well, it has to end sometime; I would rather have it ended today, than during the tournament. In 6 seasons that I have been with Rice, this is the 7th time we lost to MARS.
SF Tim Mason is injured, and will most likely to come back before conference tournament starts
Final Score: Rice - 59, Marshall - 63
Box Scores
[INDENT]Williams 27, 4, 1, 5 stls, 7 3s (*)
Piatowski 8, 4, 0
McFadden 8, 1, 1, 2 stls, 2 blks
Fountain 6, 4, 1
Phillips 6, 2, 0
Mason 2, 2, 0, 3 stls, 3 tos
Barker 2, 1, 3, 6 tos
Brown 0, 2, 1
johnson 0, 0, 3
Evans 0, 0, 1, 5 tos
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 47-52%
REB: -3
TO: +1
Pts in paint: -8
2nd chance: +2
Fast break: +3
[/INDENT]
CUSA Standings
- Rice, 15-1 (L1)
- Marshall, 11-5 (W3)
- Memphis, 10-6 (W2)
- Southern Miss, 9-7 (L1)
- Tulane, 9-7 (L2)
- Houston, 8-8 (W3)
- Central Florida, 8-8 (W1)
- East Carolina, 8-8 (L3)
- Texas-El Paso, 6-10 (W1)
- Tulsa, 6-10 (L2)
- Southern Methodist, 4-12 (L1)
- Alabama-Birmingham, 2-14 (W1)