Rice plays host to SMU on CBS College

HOUSTON, TEXAS (January 13, 2009) In its first on-campus Conference USA game in more than a year, Rice University plays host to SMU Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast nationally by CBS College as well as carried locally on radio by ESPN 97.5 The Ticket.

Rice, which played its entire 2007-08 schedule at various sites around Houston, returned to campus and renovated Tudor Fieldhouse for the 2008-09 season. Wednesday’s game against SMU will be the first Conference USA game played on campus since the Owls played host to Tulsa March 3, 2007 (Tulsa won, 73-65).

Both teams will be looking for their first conference win of the season. Rice is coming off a 65-54 road loss at Tulane in its C-USA opener. The Owls are 5-10 overall.

SMU opened league play with a 74-68 home-court loss to UTEP. The Mustangs enter the week at 5-8.

Rice junior Lawrence Ghoram opened Conference USA play with a season-high 17 points at Tulane. Ghoram was 5-for-10 from the field and made 7-of-8 free throws. The Zachary, La., native is averaging 11 points an outing since moving into the starting lineup three games ago.

Both Rodney Foster and Cory Pflieger are averaging 10.7 points per game to lead the Owls in scoring. Pflieger has now gone four games without scoring in double figures. Foster scored 11 points against Tulane after being held scoreless the previous game at Richmond.

SMU senior center Bamba Fall has been a defensive specialist for the Mustangs. In addition to leading Conference USA in blocks (34 total for a 2.62 average), Fall ranks fourth in the league with an 8.0 rebounding average. He is also averaging 9.1 points per game.

In last week’s 74-68 loss to UTEP, Fall had 14 rebounds and scored eight points in 34 minutes of work.

A pair of newcomers lead SMU in scoring. Freshman Paul McCoy leads the team with a 14.3 scoring average. The 5-11 guard is shooting 51.9 percent from the field which ranks fourth in C-USA. JC transfer Derek Williams (Western Texas College) is averaging 11.4 points and leads the team with 49 assists and 17 steals.

SMU is 0-4 in road games this season. The Mustangs will be playing on the road for the first time since a 66-55 loss at Northwestern Dec. 23, 2008.

SMU and Rice will be meeting for the 189th time. The two teams are 3-3 in Conference USA regular-season games since Rice joined the league three years ago.

After Wednesday’s game, Rice continues a home stand Saturday against UCF. SMU plays host to Tulane on Saturday.