Owls move on as Evans stages late scoring spree
If there is anything past a green light, Marcus Evans has it when Rice needs it.
The Owls needed it once again to rebuff San Francisco 85-76 victory Wednesday’s first-round meeting in the College Basketball Invitational at Tudor Fieldhouse.
In the postseason for the first time since 2012, Rice meets Utah Valley State at 7 p.m. Monday at Tudor Fieldhouse in the quarterfinals.
Evans finished with 21 points — 12 of which was scored in consecutive fashion the last three minutes of the game. Rice watched a 10-point lead evaporate and USF take the lead 72-70 with 2:38 to play. Evans then hit three 3-pointers and put together a three-point play.
The Dons couldn’t keep up. By the end of Evans’ run, Rice had an 82-76 lead with 25 seconds left.
Evans has made a habit of putting on a one-man show this season.
“Coach (Mike) Rhoades and my teammates, they’re always on me about being aggressive,” Evans said. “In that stretch, I just always try to make plays — whether it’s a play for my teammates or it’s a play for me.”
Rhoades said it’s not always about the Xs and Os. He previously promised himself he would allow his players more freedom.
Evans isn’t the only one who benefits from that, either. The Owls’ Egor Koulechov added 24 points in the win.
The last time Rice saw San Francisco, the Owls hobbled back to Houston carrying a 26-point loss and 0-2 mark to start the 20152016 season.
It was miserable and memorable. Evans and Rhoades said it was a talking point this week.
A little more than a year later, Rice (23-11) has rebounded in more ways than one. Wednesday’s victory gives the Owls their most wins since 1953-54 and ties for the school record for second-most in a season. The most was during a 25-4 season in 1939-40. It wasn’t easy. Rice had to withstand a seesaw affair Wednesday.
San Francisco (20-13) scored the game’s opening bucket before Rice reeled off 10 straight points.
Rice went from an 11-point lead to tied with the Dons at 35 by halftime in five minutes thanks to a 1 of 10 shooting slump. Then San Francisco started the second half on an 11-5 run.
Rice’s offense flipped the switch and rode a 26-8 run to a 64-54 lead with 10 minutes to play. But 13 secondhalf points from Ronnie Boyce put the Dons back in the game. He had consecutive buckets to give USF a two-point lead.
Then Evans got aggressive.
Rice’s sights are now on more wins and more history.
“Now we get to go play another game and try to go get No. 24,” Rhoades said. “We haven’t said that at Rice in a long time.”