Owls top 49ers, put end to skid
Adams’ game-high 20 points trigger first C-USA victory
In the midst of a six-game losing streak, Rice coach Scott Pera sought a breakthrough.
His team was improving but didn’t have the wins to show for it.
That moment came at Tudor Fieldhouse on Saturday when Rice clawed ahead late to topple the Charlotte 49ers 73-64 for its first Conference USA victory of the season.
“In order to win these games you have to be able to produce down the stretch when games are tight and make plays, and tonight we made the plays in the last four minutes,” Pera said. “Overall, I’m really proud of the group.”
Rice flipped a close early contest into a six-point lead in the early minutes of the opening half. After 10 minutes the Owls led 22-14, but a series of traveling calls hurt the Owls.
Charlotte eventually cut the margin to one but could only threaten. Rice went ahead to take a 40-37 lead at the half.
Sophomore guard Ako Adams (game-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting) led the Owls out of the break, nailing his fifth 3-pointer of the game minutes after halftime.
But Charlotte trimmed the lead to one again six minutes in, going ahead a minute later with a pair of free throws, and Rice trailed 49-48.
Both teams played a defensive battle through the second half as frequent whistles and missed shots disrupted the flow of an otherwise fast-paced game.
Rice led 59-58 with five minutes left, paced by Bishop Mency’s dunks.
Three minutes later, Rice was ahead 65-60. With two minutes remaining, forward Malik Osborne launched an offensive rebound toward guard Connor Cashaw as he floated out of bounds. Cashaw (11 points) turned the extra opportunity into two points after the Owls milked the shot clock, and Rice closed it out with a 16-8 run.
“We’re just happy to get a win,” Adams said. “We’ve been struggling throughout the season but we always stick to it.”
The Owls (4-13, 1-3 C-USA) netted their free throws in the closing seconds to secure the victory in a game of milestones for their young players. Adams’ total was a career high.
Osborne, a freshman, added 18 points, was 9-of-11 from the free-throw line and led the team with six rebounds.
“Earlier in the year my shot selection wasn’t the best but now that I’m improving — being in the gym with coaches and stuff like that — I’ve been able to pick where my shots are at and that’s what happened today,” Osborne said. “It’s just a great sense of satisfaction to see it pay off but we can’t be satisfied now, we just have to keep improving and keep winning.”
Andrien White had 18 points for Charlotte (5-9, 1-2) and Najee Garven added 10.
Rice hosts North Texas (97, 2-1) next Saturday at Tudor Fieldhouse.