Owls bounce back with double-digit win at home
Rice brushed off a 48point season-opening loss to Arkansas and a ninepoint deficit in the opening minutes of Saturday’s game to defeat Penn 80-61 at Tudor Fieldhouse.
“It was definitely a great bounce-back win from Tuesday night,” guard Ako Adams said. “Obviously, that was devastating. We didn’t come to play Tuesday. We got back to the drawing board, got back to the gym.”
After the team’s first loss, Rice players met to reassure each other that the 91-43 loss at Arkansas wasn’t who they will be this season.
“My biggest thing to the team in the last couple days was, ‘Who are we?’” coach Scott Pera said. “I know we’re not that team that played Tuesday night.
“It was important that we re-establish who we were. It doesn’t mean we were going to win the game, but we wanted to compete at a level that is expected every night.”
After falling behind early, the Owls (1-1) reached that level.
Five minutes into the game, they trailed Penn (1-1) by nine. But their guards pulled them back into the contest, and four minutes later, within three following a Drew Peterson 3pointer.
With just under 10 minutes left in the half, Rice took control.
Guard Payton Moore attacked the basket for two of his 10 points. A minute later, Trey Murphy III tied the game at 25 when he sank the team’s third 3-pointer of the day. Penn coach Steve Donahue eventually sank his face into his hands on the sideline.
After six minutes, the Owls had manufactured a 14-0 run and led 34-25. Following a Jordan Dingle layup for Penn, the Owls added a 7-point run and led 4129 at halftime.
Rice held Penn to 32 percent shooting in the first half. The Owls outrebounded the Quakers 4932 in the game.
Five Owls finished in double-figures, led by Adams, who had 17. Peterson scored 13 points plus eight rebounds, and Murphy III added 10 points and eight rebounds.
“Once we settled down and got the lead, we were clicking on all cylinders,” Pera said. “In my three years, that’s probably the most complete game we played on both ends.”