Houston routs McNeese, while Rice loses by one point to Eastern Kentucky in their season openers.
Rice sophomore Ako Adams’ field-goal attempt with three seconds to play rolled off the rim, and Eastern Kentucky escaped with a 73-72 victory over the Owls in the season opener at Tudor Fieldhouse on Friday night.
Dedric Boyd was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 5.9 seconds to play. Boyd hit all three free throws to give the Colonels their first lead.
“I think we’re a young team,” Rice guard Connor Cashaw said of the loss. “It’s a lesson; we have to learn how to finish out games.”
The loss spoiled the debut of Owls coach Scott Pera.
“I thought we played well enough to win, but we learned a hard lesson,” Pera said.
With just under 90 seconds remaining, Owls senior guard Bishop Mency corralled a rebound under the opposing basket and looked to set the offense as teammates jogged up floor. EKU forward Nick Mayo ripped the ball from him and went up for a layup, missing as Mency was whistled for a shooting foul.
Colonels come back
Mayo drained both free throws and the Colonels, who had trailed the entire game, tied the score at 70 all.
“The refs were calling it pretty tight all game,” Mency said. “They changed a lot of rules, so it’s a lot harder to guard on defense now.”
Rice opened the game on a 6-0 run, displaying Pera’s high-tempo offense.
Five minutes in, the Owls led 10-2.
But the Colonels chipped away as Rice went cold from deep, and sloppy giveaways opened the door for Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels cut the lead to three, trailing 18-15 with 8:21 remaining in the first half.
With just under seven minutes left, Boyd pulled up from 3 and nailed it, cutting the lead to one.
Connor Cashaw, Rice’s only returning starter from last year, led the Owls with 18 points.
The Owls led 36-31 at halftime and held the lead until the final minute.
Mency finished with 15 points and his 3-pointer just under the 16-minute mark stretched the Owls’ lead to 44-33.
They regained defensive form early in the second half, holding the Colonels to a field goal in the first five minutes. Cashaw leads the way
Cashaw registered his second career double-double. Three teammates scored in double digits, including Men cy (15), Robert Martin (14) and Adams (13). Mayo paced Eastern Kentucky with 25 points and 12 rebounds. Boyd added 22 points.
The Owls are back in action on Tuesday when they host Georgia State.