The (9-3) Rice Owls and (8-3) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are set to face each other on Thursday at E.A. Diddle Arena. The Owls, 1-3 on the road, have won three straight since falling to Texas. The Hilltoppers, 4-0 at home, lost consecutive games to Louisville and South Carolina. Last season, Western Kentucky defeated Rice 80-66 in their lone meeting.
Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m. ET. WKU is a five-point spread favorite, and the game total is 150 points.
Rice lost its conference opener 81-46 to Middle Tennessee but reeled off eight wins over its next nine games. While the Owls did a fine job navigating their non-conference schedule, Conference USA play will determine their postseason fate.
In its most recent win, Rice defeated Jarvis Christian 109-64, scoring 50-plus points in both periods. The Owls couldn't miss, shooting 62.3 percent from the field, including 48.5 percent from long range. With 31 assists on 43 made field goals, it was a true team effort. The Owls' entire starting five scored double-digit points, along with one reserve (Seryee Lewis). Junior guard Quincy Olivari contributed 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting to lead Rice.
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— Rice Men's Basketball (@RiceMBB) December 20, 2022
This season, Rice is averaging 83.6 points per game, the 20th-highest scoring average in the nation. The Owls also boast the ninth-highest field goal percentage (50.6%). They shoot 35.5 percent from three-point range and 72.5 percent from the free-throw line. Rice's offensive efficiency rating, adjusted for schedule, is ranked 105th, per KenPom.
Rice surrenders 72.7 points on defense, and its opponents shoot 44.8 percent from the floor, including 34.2 percent from distance. Its adjusted defensive efficiency rating is ranked 279th, and its assist-to-turnover ratio (1.20) is ranked 67th.