Late run enables Owls to post first winning streak of Pera era

Rice guard Chris Mullins penetrated the Louisiana Tech defense before kicking a pass out to Robert Martin. The junior gathered himself before sinking the 3pointer to put the game out of reach, effectively earning coach Scott Pera the first two-game winning streak of his two-year tenure.

The Owls won 78-66 on Saturday at Tudor Fieldhouse.

“Just resilient bunch,” Owls forward Jack Williams said. “We’re fighting now and we’re finding our identity, and it’s good to win. I feel like we’re turning this thing around and getting Rice back on the map.”

The victory gives Rice (7-9, 2-1 in Conference USA) its conference winning streak since the 2016-17 season.

It came as the Owls wrestled with the Bulldogs (11-5, 1-2) throughout a second half that featured five lead changes.

The last came with 3:44 left when Williams drilled a 3-pointer before guard Ako Adams followed with one of his own. After a Loui- siana Tech layup, Rice scored seven straight, as freshmen and veterans hit enough free throws to sink the Bulldogs for good.

“Great team win, from the freshmen all the way to the older guys,” Adams said. “It definitely builds confidence, especially for the young guys who haven’t been through this.”

Pera gushed about his team’s consistency and the importance of such a comprehensive effort. He believes Rice’s non-conference schedule helped prepare the younger players to defend against C-USA’s more physical teams.

“From Jack’s double-double to Josh (Parrish’s) huge rebounds and huge blocked shot — which was a big play of the game — to Rob( Martin), Jack and Ako all hitting their 3-pointers late, it’s just a total team effort,” Pera said. “That’s what it takes to win at this level and in this conference.”

Rice held Louisiana Tech to 13.3 percent shooting from behind the 3-point arc in the second half while shooting 53.8 percent from its end of the floor.

Williams recorded a doubledouble with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Three other Owls (Adams, Martin, Mullins) scored in double-digits.

After beating two teams picked to finish in the top seven in CUSA’s preseason poll, the Owls are feeling more confident knowing they have the defense and scoring to compete late in games.

“I’ve been looking for that consistency,” Pera said. “You want to win and when you don’t, even when you have the big picture in mind, winning every now and then keeps everyone going.”