Men's basketball sees step ahead negated by Tulane loss

By Yan Digilov     2/4/10 6:00pm

One step forward and two steps back is no way to make progress. The men's basketball team is no exception, but even the single step forward is a plus for a team that just snapped a seven-game losing streak against East Carolina University last Saturday.

The win against the Pirates (7-15, 1-7 Conference USA) also marked their first road win all season long. After showing flashes of quality play throughout their losing slide, the Owls (7-14, 1-7 C-USA) were finally able to put together a complete game against the worst team in the conference.

Against the Pirates, Rice reversed several trends that have haunted it in the past. First, the team got off to a competitive start, in sharp contrast to the stagnant play that has dominated the first minutes of play over their last several games.

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With a stifling defense, Rice also limited ECU to 31 percent shooting. It was a stark contrast to the 51 percent shooting from Southern Methodist University (13-8, 3-4 C-USA) two weeks ago, a mark well above the team's season average.

But the young squad's inexperience eventually came through, and despite building a 20-point lead in the first half, turnovers and lazy play created an unnecessary challenge for Rice. The home team's comeback climaxed with a two-point deficit with 8:30 left in the game. This time, Rice held ECU off to walk away with the win, but in their next game at Tudor Fieldhouse, they would not be so lucky.

Surprisingly enough, the win against the Pirates also broke a streak of six consecutive games in which the Owls out-rebounded their opponents, losing the battle by a margin of 40-39. The inverse relationship continued for the Owls on Wednesday against the undersized Tulane University squad, who ceded the rebound battle by a mark of 35-28.

At home, the Owls blew a 13-point second-half lead against the Green Wave (6-14, 2-6 C-USA) to drop an overtime contest 79-74.

"I think our team was ready to play and was focused," Head Coach Ben Braun said. "It is just tough that the things that we did right were overshadowing with lack of toughness. It isn't technical. It isn't game plan. Those are intangibles that you have to master."

Rice's offense began to fold under the pressure of Tulane's full-court press early in the second half. The pressure led to turnovers, which led to easy Green Wave buckets and deflated the home team's confidence.

The lack of confidence spilled into the offense as well. After shooting 52 percent in the first half, the Owls shot only 36 percent in the second. The result was a game full of positives marred by a lack of energy and an inability to close out the game.

"We had a chance to take this game," Braun said. "I told them at halftime that it was going to be up to us to take care of the ball and handle the pressure."

The chance to win the game was due in large part to another strong start, this time to the tune of an 11-2 run. Junior center Trey Stanton maneuvered seamlessly around the 6'5" guards that were given the task of defending him, finishing with 16 points.

Freshman forward Arsalan Kazemi also managed well in the post, leading the team with an impressive 19 points and 13 rebounds.

Freshman point guard Tamir Jackson made large strides against Tulane as well, registering eight assists. But the most impressive guard play may have come from a player that registered almost no visible statistics.

As the Owls built their lead in the first half, sophomore guard Nate Shwarze was given the task of leading the offense at point guard. In 14 minutes of play, Shwarze was able to visibly energize the defense and bring stability to the floor.

"He did that for us on the road at ECU and has been doing that consistently," Braun said. "He is one of our best defenders, if not the best. I am very pleased with his effort, and I know our team responds to Nate in a big way. He has been a big, bright spot."

Additionally, his presence at the point has allowed Jackson to attack from an off-guard position, leading to numerous strong drives to the basket that resulted in either layups or open dishes to other guards.

But while on top, Rice couldn't keep itself from tumbling back down. In the last three minutes of regulation, the Owls could not manage to put up a field goal, and failed to sink a shot until 1:45 left in overtime.

"In the second half I stopped making quick moves," Stanton said. "I would let the guard who is doubling down keep me from making a move."

At the same time, a spread-out Tulane offense penetrated through the heart of the Owls' defense, deflating their hopes of winning two in a row.

"They were playing with five guards, and we just couldn't guard it," Kazemi said. "Then, they hit all their shots."

Tulane shot 75 percent from the field in overtime. But turnovers proved to be Rice's undoing, as on a night when the Owls finally got 16 assists, they also gave up 17 turnovers that resulted in 25 second-chance points.

The frustration hit rock bottom when, at the end of regulation, sophomore guard Connor Frizzelle shot a three-pointer to win the game. Jackson's hands were ready to celebrate the victory as the ball rolled off the rim, the Owls' hopes dropping with it.

But redemption would come with force if the Owls can pull it together against the University of Alabama-Birmingham tomorrow at 2 p.m. in Tudor Fieldhouse. UAB (18-4, 6-2 C-USA) leads C-USA with a 18-3 record. If Rice can pull off an upset against the Blazers tomorrow, then its one step forward will become one giant leap.

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