Dec. 28, 2011

Final Stats
TAMUCC v Rice Game Book

HOUSTON - All five Rice starters scored in double figures and freshman Jarelle Reischel came off the bench to score a career-high 10 points as the Owls defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the team's final nonconference home game.

Rice, now 9-4, plays at Texas Saturday afternoon then travels to TCU next Wednesday. The Owls open league play Jan. 7 at home against Marshall, one of Conference USA's preseason favorites. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 1-11, opens Southland Conference play Jan. 4 when the Islanders play host to Lamar.

Wednesday's game marked the return of former head coach Willis Wilson who was a four-year letterwinner at Rice before later serving as the program's head coach for 16 seasons (1992-2008). Wilson is in his first season as the head coach at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi after serving the previous two seasons on the staff at Memphis.

The Islanders quickly jumped out to a four-point lead before Rice scored 10 unanswered points, culminating with a three-pointer by Tamir Jackson off a Lucas Kuipers pass. Kuipers also had four points during the Owls' early run.

Rice held A&M-Corpus Christi to just 29 percent shooting in the first half in building a 42-25 lead at the break. The Owls' advantage was as many as 25 points in the second period as Kuipers' three-pointer with 8:30 to play gave Rice a 59-34 lead.

A&M-Corpus Christi shot 34 percent from the field for the game but managed to get to the free throw line 23 times in the second half.

Trailing by 25, Chris Hawkins-Mast converted a pair of three-point plays for A&M-Corpus Christi. Hawkins-Mast's two free throws started a stretch in which the Islanders made 11 of their next 12 free throw attempts. A foul and technical foul called on the Owls sent Terrence Jones to the line for four straight free throws. Jones proceeded to make all four attempts, cutting Rice's lead to single figures for the first time since early in the game, 70-61 with 1:57 to play.

But Rice would make its final four free throw attempts of the game, Ahmad Ibrahim would score after the Owls ran some time and later, Dylan Ennis' layup broke the Islanders' press and accounted for the final score.

Kazemi registered his 37th career double-double and 10th of the season, finishing with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Kazemi was also one of three Rice players to have five assists in the game. Kuipers finished with 11 points and nine rebounds. Jackson would also score 11 points and dish out five assists. He did not have a turnover in 27 minutes of playing time.

Dylan Ennis had 12 points, five assists and three rebounds while Connor Frizzelle finished with 10 points.

Reischel was 4-for-5 from the field en route to his 10-point game. He also had five rebounds, an assist and a steal.

Jones led Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with 15 points while Myron Dempsey had 14 points, six rebounds and four steals.

The Owls turned the ball over 23 times, the most since its season opener against New Orleans (25), but also equaled a season high with their 21 assists. Rice outrebounded A&M-Corpus Christi 47-35.