Owls close out win over Thundering Herd

Rice didn’t let this one get away. Two days after losing a game in which the Owls let a double-digit lead evaporate in the final eight minutes, the Owls maintained their composure on Saturday night at Tudor Fieldhouse.

There were some anxious moments against reigning Conference USA champion Marshall. Especially when the Thundering Herd got within a point with just over a minute remaining. But the Owls, who led by as many as 17 points, came away with a 74-69 victory in the Conference USA matchup.

This one wasn’t easy. A 3-pointer by the Herd’s Jannson Williams cut Rice’s lead to 70-69 with 1:01 to play. But Rice held on.

“We’ve been in that situation many times,” Rice coach Scott Pera said. “We stayed with it, made some big plays and defended like we did down the stretch to secure the win, means a lot.”

Added Jack Williams, who collected 11 points and eight rebounds for the Owls: “Just to close the game out and win, we’re ecstatic. In the huddle I yelled, ‘Let’s buckle down, let’s get this win.’ We all did our job.”

Quentin Millora-Brown added 10 points and six rebounds for Rice, which got 12 points from Chris Mullins and 11 points from Trey Murphy III. The Owls (10-15, 5-7) had just enough to stop the Thundering Herd in yet another close game for the Owls.

“It seems like our past six, seven games, we’ve been in that position, it’s competitive,” said Robert Martin, one of five Owls in doublefigure scoring with 10 points and he added seven rebounds. “We’ve either had the lead or right there neck to neck.

“And today, we had the lead and they started cutting it down quickly. We were able to stay locked in and finally finish one out.”

Rice was coming off a tough 9285 double overtime home defeat to Western Kentucky on Thursday. The Owls made only two field goals in the final 17:38 of regulation against the Hilltoppers and let a 13point lead with 7:39 remaining slip away.

A 47-41 advantage on the boards on Saturday helped Rice stymie any hopes of a comeback for Marshall (13-12, 6-6), which got a gamehigh 24 points from C.J. Burks and a 14-point, 12-rebound performance from Jannson Williams.

“When you keep losing and get punched in the gut like the way we have been in the last minute of three or four games, for them to stay as engaged as they are, it’s a credit to them,” Pera said.

Rice defeated Marshall for the first time at Tudor after the Herd won the first six meetings there.

After Jannson Williams opened the second-half scoring by making two free throws to get the Herd within seven (40-33), Rice ran off 10 straight points for its largest lead of the game. A basket by Mullins put the Owls up 50-33 with 15:37 remaining.

“When we’re good, we’re pretty good,” Pera said.