Terrible shooting 1st half but a torrid 2nd half. Koulechov had all 18 of his points in the 2nd half. Evans carried us the 1st half and he also was big in the 2nd half (along with Jackson, both had 4-point plays - that was a pretty cool note). I also thought Lott and Mency gave us some great defensive plays off the bench.

Huge game Saturday. I just don't understand why the long-suffering Rice fans won't come out and see this team play. Evans and Koulechov are probably our best 1-2 punch since Brent Scott/Marvin Moore. We can not let UTEP out-draw us when we're going for win #19 on the season and #6 conference win in a row.

(02-16-2017 10:46 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Terrible shooting 1st half but a torrid 2nd half. Koulechov had all 18 of his points in the 2nd half. Evans carried us the 1st half and he also was big in the 2nd half (along with Jackson, both had 4-point plays - that was a pretty cool note). I also thought Lott and Mency gave us some great defensive plays off the bench.

Huge game Saturday. I just don't understand why the long-suffering Rice fans won't come out and see this team play. Evans and Koulechov are probably our best 1-2 punch since Brent Scott/Marvin Moore. We can not let UTEP out-draw us when we're going for win #19 on the season and #6 conference win in a row.

On the conference message board, UTEP claims they'll have at least 300 - 400 in attendance.

(02-16-2017 03:08 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  We're 2-0 in-State in C-USA this year. Let's keep it up and run past the road runners...

Our next six games are all winnable. All can be lost. We can define our season in the next three weeks.

(02-16-2017 09:56 PM)greyowl72 Wrote:  Nice win.
A slow start by the Owls had me worried. But the last 5-6 minutes we played strong and took control. Thanks to Evans, Koulechov and MLE.

I'd like to see our stats for last five minutes of every half (and overtimes).
I think that's been a strong point not only this year but previous years under Rhodes, too.

(02-16-2017 11:02 PM)ranfin Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 03:08 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  We're 2-0 in-State in C-USA this year. Let's keep it up and run past the road runners...

Our next six games are all winnable. All can be lost. We can define our season in the next three weeks.

Your second point is no longer true. :)
Agree with #1 & #3 though

Yeah, I think attendance this year has been worse than last year... Which is, um, odd.

(02-16-2017 10:17 PM)seniorowl Wrote:  5 game conference win streak. When was the last time that happened?

In 2005, we won our last 5 conference games and then the first round WAC tourney game as well. 19-12 overall that year.

(02-16-2017 11:09 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Yeah, I think attendance this year has been worse than last year... Which is, um, odd.

Wonder if it's some fallout from football season...

(02-16-2017 11:21 PM)cr11owl Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 11:09 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Yeah, I think attendance this year has been worse than last year... Which is, um, odd.

Wonder if it's some fallout from football season...

Well, that's just our fans being stupid then.

Lots of fallout at Allen Fieldhouse and Rupp Arena every winter after having bad football team after bad football team.

(02-16-2017 11:28 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 11:21 PM)cr11owl Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 11:09 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Yeah, I think attendance this year has been worse than last year... Which is, um, odd.

Wonder if it's some fallout from football season...

Well, that's just our fans being stupid then.

Lots of fallout at Allen Fieldhouse and Rupp Arena every winter after having bad football team after bad football team.

It has been disappointing to sit in a sold out section and half 35% of the seats filled most nights. Yet folks will still complain the students don't show up. Plus the crowd tonight just seemed dead even at the end.

I'd like to see the AD and other top administration officials make more of an effort to get fans and the Rice community out. Having them circulate throughout the crowd would be nice - Greenspan probably went too far in that regard but at least you would see him at halfcourt for every game. I also don't recall seeing Leebron at a game yet this year, which surprises me.

It was nice to see Dana Hardy tonight at the game. He still looks like he could suit up for the Owls.

(02-16-2017 11:32 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 11:28 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 11:21 PM)cr11owl Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 11:09 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Yeah, I think attendance this year has been worse than last year... Which is, um, odd.

Wonder if it's some fallout from football season...

Well, that's just our fans being stupid then.

Lots of fallout at Allen Fieldhouse and Rupp Arena every winter after having bad football team after bad football team.

It has been disappointing to sit in a sold out section and half 35% of the seats filled most nights. Yet folks will still complain the students don't show up. Plus the crowd tonight just seemed dead even at the end.

There were students there tonight - most of them however were athletes being honored for their academic achievements and many of them left after halftime.

Strange game with lots of TO's the first 6 minutes and from then on good ball handling. Both teams were 1-19 from 3 in the first half. We got several leads only to have them evaporate through most of the game. Typical CUSA officiating with a cascade of fouls on one team then they go the other way. At one point we had committed 3 more fouls but had 12 less FT attempts. Egor was really frustrated with the officials and had some good looks in the 1st half but just couldn't hit. Plus when he had to sit with foul trouble we lost our best rebounder. UTSA rebounds really well...there seemed to be 3 on the boards every time and then with the long rebounds the went to UTSA. We looked late in the second half and for the season they were out
rebounding their opponents by over 100 so it wasn't just tonight that they were good. I thought Bishop was the one who sparked the Owls. He came in and really helped on D plus put some energy into the team. Egor was possessed in the 2H and scored all of his 18 after halftime. We wound up shooting 37.5% from 3 which was a huge advantage plus we also were fouled twice on made 3's. UTSA finished 2-16 from 3. Their second choice points off all the rebounds really kept them in the game. This was a game we could have lost like the Florida Atlantic game but the team didn't panic and down the stretch played solid ball...this is something that we haven't seen from Rice teams since almost forever. Take care of business Saturday and the 20 win season that looked shaky early in the conference season is very doable. Good job by the staff to keep rotating players in given the foul trouble and trying to find some scoring.

Anyone have insight into why Mency played 10 minutes and Adams only 5 minutes? Surprising stat to me.

Koulechov with only 21 minutes, apparently due to his 1st half foul issues.

(02-16-2017 11:48 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Anyone have insight into why Mency played 10 minutes and Adams only 5 minutes? Surprising stat to me.

Koulechov with only 21 minutes, apparently due to his 1st half foul issues.

We needed help inside bit time and Bishop provided that.

Good win. We are more athletic than UTSA and we should have won. This referee group has to be the worst but I think they were bad for both teams. I really don't understand the low turn out especially from the students.

(02-16-2017 11:51 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 11:48 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Anyone have insight into why Mency played 10 minutes and Adams only 5 minutes? Surprising stat to me.

Koulechov with only 21 minutes, apparently due to his 1st half foul issues.

We needed help inside bit time and Bishop provided that.

Online Chronicle already has write-up on the game complete with player interviews.

UTEP had to go to OT to beat UNT on the road tonight.

(02-16-2017 09:49 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  

(02-16-2017 09:38 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  Long Evans 3 gives the Owls a 68-65 lead. UTSA called time.

After an Owl 3, the video feed shows a slide: "T's for 3's - Rice Rising" What does the "T's for 3's" mean? Certainly not "Technical (Fouls)".

T-shirts thrown into crowd.

Thanks for the explanation.

That's surely an appropriate scoreboard graphic. But it's irritating when it and other screen shots like it supercede the live-action video on the CUSA-TV feed.