ESPN has UTSA as 11.5 point favorites and gives the Owls just a 12% chance of winning.

Prove them wrong Owls!

I am in the house. Interesting that there were no lower reserved seats available at the door, so we’re up in the really crappy GA seats.

Owls score first. 3 by Miles!

2 of 7 from 3 pt. 2 of 8 overall.

Down 11-13, but getting blown out on the boards (UTSA 10 vs. 4 for Rice).

Turnovers

5 turnovers in the last 2 minutes. Sad.

Didn't think it possible, but we're actually having a worse stretch than the one to end the game versus Texas State. I don't even know what I'm watching.

The super frustrating thing with the turnovers is that most of them are not forced by the opposition; simply sloppy and ugly play on our part. Again, you would think that this would have improved by now, and it hasn't.

UTSA's TV (and CUSA-TV) color commentator:

"It's obvious that Rice has very, very very little inside game. Some 90 percent of their shots have come from outside."

The play-by-play man, as Owls were missing 3 or 4 free throws: "Rice is not a very good free-throw shooting team."

And a UTSA 3 makes it 21-12.

Steal.

RRunner 3 ... 24-12. 6:24 left in 1st half. Grrr.

And it doesn't help that we're only 2-6 from the charity stripes.

So is Lapray out for the season? Someone on the board said he got an extra year of eligibility.

Nevermind, JP Heath just said Lapray is out with the flu.

This is looking like the last year or two of Tommy Suitts teams. Back to back unforced travels after crossing half court was just st brutal. AJ is dressed so expect a few minutes from him.

Now up to 12 turnovers!!

17-8 points off turnovers.

(12-28-2017 08:41 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  Now up to 12 turnovers!!

and now a whopping 5-11 on free throws. Sorry, this is just unacceptable at this level.

Somehow within 9 at the half. 34-25 Runners.

34-25 UTSA at the half. My thoughts:

Positives:
-Rob showed up. Corner 3 + effort play in the final 3 minutes of the half.
-OK defense to hold a good offensive team to 34 points
-I'd imagine we can only get better in the second half

Negatives:
-We're making a sub-250th ranked defense look like Virginia
-13 TOs is unacceptable
-5-11 FTs is unacceptable
-We've sagged off of/not closed out on/left open multiple UTSA players who are known shooters, which you just can't do against a good shooting team
-We were unprepared for their press which shouldn't happen

(12-28-2017 08:49 PM)S.A. Owl Wrote:  Somehow within 9 at the half. 34-25 Runners.

Agreed. That was one of the worst halves of basketball i have witnessed in several years. Unforced error after unforced error....getting dominated on the boards...and not only can't hit an open jumper, but we're under 50% from the charity stripe. Ugh.

20-8 points off turnovers many of which were unforced. Quite frankly I see nothing from the Soph class that makes me think they will contribute much in the next two years. Hopefully the incoming classes can play significant minutes from the start.