Rice Falls to Tulsa in American Conference Opener 97-48

TULSA, Okla. — Rice University struggled in its American Conference opener, falling to the University of Tulsa 97-48 on Wednesday afternoon at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.

Tulsa jumped out to an early lead, scoring the first 12 points of the game. Although Rice briefly answered with a run of its own, the Golden Hurricane quickly extended their lead, courtesy of strong performances from their key players.

Rice’s graduate guard led the team with 17 points, marking his 12th double-figure scoring game of the season. Senior forward also contributed with 10 points, while forward added eight points and grabbed a team-high five rebounds.

Tulsa’s junior guard Tylen Riley shined, leading his team with 15.2 points, and the Golden Hurricane finished the game shooting an impressive 61.7% from the field. They capitalized on Rice’s shooting struggles, as the Owls hit only 28.1% of their shots.

The game was characterized by a significant rebounding disadvantage for Rice, which was outrebounded 43-26. The Owls managed to connect on just 22.2% from beyond the arc and struggled at the free throw line with only 58.8% success.

With the loss, Rice’s record drops to 6-8, while Tulsa improves to 13-1. The two teams will meet again on January 25 in Houston for their next matchup.

Rice head coach emphasized the importance of regrouping for their upcoming game against Memphis on Saturday, January 3, which will be their conference home opener. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. CT, and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.