Martin, Owls respond to challenge late in game

After establishing a habit of blowing leads last season, Rice looked to avoid the same fate in its 2018-19 season opener against St. Leo.

The Owls ultimately held off a second-half comeback to win 80-64 at Tudor Fieldhouse on Tuesday night.

“I was really happy with our guys’ second-half performance,” coach Scott Pera said. “It was good to see our guys finish off a game by increasing things and not letting the team back in the game to make it close down the stretch. It’s a sign of growth for us.”

After trailing early, Rice led by as much as 12 before taking an eight-point lead into halftime.

The Owls maintained that eight-point advantage with just under nine minutes remaining in the game when Lions guard Rusty Moorer drilled a 3-pointer.

Teammate Junior Searcy cut the Owls’ lead to two shortly after, sinking his own trey.

With their grip on the game slipping away, the Owls needed a bucket, something they’d been able to count on Connor Cashaw to provide before he transferred to Creighton in the offseason. And after losing four additional players earlier this year, the opening to fill Cashaw’s shoes was wide open.

But junior forward Robert Martin powered the Owls on Tuesday, scoring a career-high 18 points and hitting all six of his shots from the field. He added six rebounds, two assists and three steals.

“I’m really happy, and I’m really proud,” Pera said of Martin. “I’m not surprised he was the difference in the game.”

Martin’s 3-pointer stopped the bleeding with 7:39 remaining. It also ignited the Owls on both ends of the court.

Following a Lions layup 11 seconds later, Rice catapulted to a 16-point lead on a 13-0 run before St. Leo finally scored again with less than 2:30 left.

“I think it was more so staying calm,” Martin said of the Owls down the stretch. “We’ve competed (five) times before this. This was the first time with the lights on, so we’re really used to it.”

Martin was referring to the team’s summer tour in Spain followed by exhibition matches prior to their opener, games that players said facilitated better chemistry and a chance for the freshmen to work through their nerves.

On Tuesday, four Owls scored in double digits, with forward Jack Williams recording a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, the most by a Rice player in his first game.

“We need to learn how to win,” Pera said. “It was great that we separated. I think that’s a really big part of the story of this game.”