Game starts in 10 minutes on ESPN+. I like playing ODU because it gives us the most accurate read on how good our team is. You know they're going to be stout on defense, so we'll get a chance to see how effective our offensive execution really is.

Weird start to the game. 8-5 Rice but Olivari just heaving shots up like it's practice. We're gonna need him to make shots, but not like this. He needs to let the game come to him.

12-5 Rice at the first break..

17-11 Rice. A bit clunky on offense the last few minutes but Olivari gets his first 3 to fall. We look decent defensively. A couple open guys and an easy drive here and there.

28-15 Rice, 7:01 in 1H.

Rice playing good defense (at least judging by the radio broadcast).

28-15 Rice. Very crisp on offense, except for some odd forces by Olivari. ODU looking pretty stagnant on offense, but that won't last. They'll make this closer at some point.

Olivari just won't stop shooting. And after the slow start...he's flaming hot. Rice leads 42-22. Can't let up.

42-29 Rice at the half. ODU zone combined with Rice going cold has allowed ODU to cut the deficit to 13. Could have won the game with a good last 2 minutes, but the flow went the opposite way.

Expect ODU to be better scoring the ball in the second half, which means we're going to need to keep being aggressive. Have to figure out the zone. We got some decent looks out of it on the last 3 possessions, but none of them fell.

55-42 Rice with 11:52 left. Still feels like an extended ODU run coming (but it hasn't come yet). Evee a bit cold in the second half. Has missed a few wide open looks in a row (same as Olivari before he came out). Think we need Fiedler and Olivari back in. Don't want the game to get to 5-6.

Inexcusable shot selection from Havsa there. And he did it a few times in our win against UTEP. He's good at running the offense and he's a capable defender, but we get into trouble when he's running hero ball. ODU has cut it to 8 points.

6 point game. Somebody has to make a shot. Pera needs to back to the starting 5.

And as I say that, Moore hits a much needed 3. 58-49 Rice. Gotta hope a hot spell comes after this cold spell. But credit to ODU. Easy to fold when you're down a lot. Instead, they've gotten better defensively as the game's gone on.

Kind of a miracle that our lead is still 7 the way we're shooting it in this second half. Abercrombie missed a few corner looks. Evee missed 2-3 wide open looks. Olivari has forced a few shots in a row and hasn't been close (he's taken a ridiculous 16 3s). 7:33 left. Rice 58-51. ODU's ball.

We aren’t moving on defense in rebound situations. We got most of the long misses in the first half...this have we aren’t.

Huge couple minute stretch from Rice. Mullins a cut 2, a banked 2, and a 3, and then Evee with a 3. Lead back up to 68-53. 3:58 left. Love to see Mullins picking up the slack there with us struggling to make shots.

Interesting that Pera had Clark in there for a solid 5-6 minutes there when the game got hairy. He doesn't give us much on offense, but Pera clearly thinks his defense is worth sacrificing some scoring (and he might have been right).

Also I guess interesting that Poteat hasn't seen any minutes. I'd like to see him get a few minutes now and again to spell Fiedler.*

*Although now that I write that I see he's not even dressed.

69-59 Rice final. Good win against a team that typically gives us trouble. First half offensive performance carried us, in addition to 7 straight from Mullins to ice the game. Defense was pretty solid overall, aided by ODU's longstanding problems with shooting the ball. Evee and Olivari were a combined 11-35. Good to win games when neither is playing at their peak. Fiedler once again might be our most important player. Only 6 pts, but 7 assists and 12 rebounds. 14 pts, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds from Mullins. Played like a captain today on both ends.

Finished strong defensively and got several hustle rebounds. Hopefully we can come back tomorrow and get the sweep.

Nice job by Pera and the team. This kind of win was unexpected.

I'm delighted to see those late offensive rebounds. Too often the entire team retreats to the other side of the court as soon as an Owl shoots, not even trying to get an offensive board.

Sounds like a great win. ODU is well-coached team usually, and they're still good this year.

Massey Composite has them at 140, going into today, with a high of 102 and a low of 217. Rice was 192, with a high of 146 and low of 249.