Rice Owls Outflanked by South Florida Bulls at Yuengling Center
The Rice Owls, with a record of 0-0, faced off against the South Florida Bulls, also at 0-0. In a game that saw both teams eager to notch their first victory of the season, it was the Bulls who emerged victorious with a final score of 81-73.
At the Yuengling Center in Tampa, fans witnessed an intense match where the Rice Owls showcased their offensive capabilities early on. The first half ended with Rice leading by nine points, having scored 40 to South Florida's 31. However, despite maintaining a solid field goal percentage of 46 and an impressive three-point shooting percentage of 50 throughout the game, they couldn't sustain their lead.
The Owls' offense was led by dynamic playmaking as they accumulated a total of 17 assists. Their scoring was balanced across various areas including fast break points (5), second chance points (8), and particularly points in paint where they notched up an impressive tally of 28. The team's free throw accuracy stood out as well; they made good on 75 percent from the line.
Defensively though, Rice struggled to contain the Bulls' aggressive playstyle which resulted in them conceding more personal fouls (21) than their opponents (16). This discrepancy gave South Florida more opportunities at the charity stripe where they capitalized by shooting an outstanding free throw percentage of 86.
Rebounding was another area where Rice excelled; pulling down a total of 41 rebounds compared to South Florida's less dominant board presence totaling only at 29 rebounds. Of these rebounds for Rice, there were notably more defensive ones with a count of 29 while managing nine on offense.
Despite these efforts and leading for portions of the game – indicated by three lead changes – turnovers proved costly for Rice as they committed a total number which reached into double digits (18). This allowed South Florida to score an overwhelming number off turnovers amounting to nearly seven times that managed by Rice (28).
As time wound down and both teams fought hard on court without any remaining timeouts for Rice and two left unused for South Florida – it became clear that this conference game would end in favor for those hosting at Yuengling Center.
Looking ahead after this tough road loss against USF Bulls, fans can mark their calendars for when The Tudor Fieldhouse will be filled once again with cheering supporters as it hosts another exciting matchup. The next challenge facing our very own Rice Owls will be against Charlotte 49ers scheduled on January 16th at Tudor Fieldhouse located in Houston TX; tip-off is set for sharp at eight o'clock PM Central Time Zone. Fans unable to attend can catch all live action broadcasted over ESPN+ internet network ensuring not one moment is missed from what promises to be yet another captivating encounter.