Owls fall short, fail to qualify for berth in C-USA tournament
Rice’s fate was sealed before the tip-off Saturday night.
UTEP toppled North Texas in Denton to end the Owls’ chances of qualifying for the Conference USA tournament after the team was a fifth seed last year.
Despite steady growth throughout the season, Rice fell to UTSA 79-60 at Tudor Fieldhouse on Saturday night to end its season.
“Before this game, we got tough news that UTEP won the buzzer-beater, so we knew it was our last game,” guard Connor Cashaw said. “I think (this season) is going to prepare us, not only for next season, but life.”
The 2017-2018 campaign was supposed to mark a significant step forward after the team’s 2312 season that featured one of the most underrated players in the nation in Marcus Evans.
But coach Mike Rhoades left for Virginia Commonwealth last March, and Evans followed him. Shortly thereafter, five of his former teammates departed, leaving new coach Scott Pera to field one of the country’s most inexperienced teams against a schedule built for contenders.
“We just finished a 7-24 season, and I couldn’t be more proud of this group of guys,” Pera said Saturday. “There’s so many schools around the country that have records like ours but I don’t know if they can sit here and say how happy and proud they are of their kids, the program and where it’s going.”
Pera’s last time at the helm was in 2006, when he coached James Harden at Artesia High School in Southern California. After the talent drain on South Main, he entered the season with moderate expectations.
Rice was 3-10 after nonconference play and didn’t fare much better when it began to play C-USA opponents, losing eight of its first 10 games.
But in a season where coaches and players refused to be defined by their record of 7-24 and 4-14 in C-USA, a young Owls team made strides.
Ako Adams showed a greater command running the offense (and scored more) as the season progressed. True freshmen Malik Osborne and Najja Hunter proved to be important contributors, attacking the basket and taking the scoring burden off of Cashaw — the most experienced returnee — who led the team in points (15.4) and rebounds (seven) per game coming into Saturday.
“We threw them right into the fire,” senior Bishop Mency said of the underclassmen. “A lot of these guys were called on early in the season and they responded.”
By the new year, double-digit losses became less frequent as the team played increasingly tighter games, albeit losing most.
Rice’s C-USA tournament chances grew bleak through a six-game losing streak in early February, but hopes were resurrected when Adams netted a buzzer-beating 3 to avenge a loss to Florida Atlantic. They overcame UTEP, the team ahead of them for the 12th and final tournament seed, Thursday, but the Miners’ win Saturday punched their ticket.
In their finale, Cashaw registered a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Hunter added 13 points and Adams 12.
UTSA (18-13, 11-7) defeated Rice without star freshman Jhivvan Jackson, who suffered a season-ending injury Feb. 28. Guard Deon Lyle led the Roadrunners in his absence with 33 points.