Jan. 9, 2009

Rice University opens league play Saturday when the Owls travel to Tulane for its Conference USA opener. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be locally in Houston by ESPN 97.5 The Ticket.

Tulane was one of six C-USA programs to get a jump on conference action earlier this week. The Green Wave came back from a 12-point, second-half deficit to tie East Carolina in the final minutes but could not regain the lead as the Pirates made eight straight free throws to nail down a 69-66 victory.

Tulane junior guard Kevin Sims is averaging a team-leading 11.5 points and 3.8 assists but was held to three points on 1-for-11 shooting at ECU.

Sims and senior forward Daniel Puckett are the only two Tulane players to start every game this season for the Wave. Puckett began his final conference campaign with a career-best, 22-point night at ECU. He was 6-for-10 from the field, including 2-for-4 from three-point range. Puckett also made 8-of-10 free throws, had six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

Tulane ranks fourth in the C-USA with a +2.9 turnover margin. The Green Wave forced 14 turnovers at ECU while just turning the ball over six times themselves. The Wave has struggled at foul line, making just 62 percent of their free throws. Tulane was 11-of-19 at the free throw line against ECU.

Tulane is 6-8 overall and 5-2 at home in Fogelman Arena.

Rice will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak and improve on a 5-9 record. The Owls will also be looking for their first C-USA victory since 2007.

The Owls were 0-16 in conference play last year and a win would double their total number of victories from a year ago when they went 3-27 on the year.

In last week's 74-43 loss at Richmond, the Rice backcourt tandem of Cory Pflieger and Rodney Foster combined for just three points in the game. Combined, the pair made just one of nine shots from the field.

A road win would give the Owls momentum as they return home for back-to-back games in newly renovated Tudor Fieldhouse next week. Rice plays host to SMU next Wednesday in a game which will be televised by CBS College and the Owls take on UCF Saturday afternoon.

Return to the Air Waves - The Ben Braun Radio Show begins next Monday night on ESPN 97.5 The Ticket. Rice play-by-play announcer David Saltzman will host the show which will run the remainder of the season. The half-hour program tips off at 7 p.m. each week.