Rice Owls Clipped by Mean Green's Sharp Shooting at Tudor Fieldhouse
The Rice Owls faced a challenging contest against the North Texas Mean Green, culminating in a 63-54 outcome. The Owls now stand with an even record, while the Mean Green improved their tally. Despite a valiant effort, the home team fell short in front of 1,071 spectators at Tudor Fieldhouse.
The game was marked by intense competition as evidenced by ten ties and seven lead changes. The Rice Owls started strong matching the visitors point for point in the first half with both teams locked at 34 points apiece going into halftime. However, it was during the third quarter where momentum began to shift as North Texas outscored Rice by two points.
The fourth quarter saw North Texas pull away with a decisive 21-10 run that ultimately sealed their victory. The Mean Green's offensive efficiency was notable; they shot an impressive 58 percent from the field and were successful on half of their three-point attempts. Their prowess inside was also evident with 38 points scored in the paint.
On defense, North Texas managed to block three shots and steal possession four times from Rice. They also capitalized on turnovers scoring 12 points off of them despite committing more turnovers themselves (19) than Rice (13).
The Owls showed resilience throughout the game especially on defense where they recorded four blocks and an outstanding number of steals at fourteen - showcasing their ability to disrupt plays effectively. Offensively, they struggled from beyond the arc making only three out of thirty attempts which translated to a mere ten percent success rate for three-pointers.
Rice did excel at free throw shooting hitting seven out of eight attempts which is an excellent rate of eighty-eight percent accuracy but it wasn't enough to overcome their shooting woes elsewhere on court.
One area where Rice dominated was second-chance opportunities; they scored sixteen second-chance points thanks largely due to grabbing eighteen offensive rebounds compared to just four for North Texas.
Despite this loss, fans can look forward to seeing how Rice will bounce back in their next game against UTSA Roadrunners scheduled for March 5th at UTSA Convocation Center located in San Antonio, TX starting at 6:30 PM local time. Fans unable to attend can catch live action broadcasted as per schedule.