GAME WEEK CAPSULE: FAU vs. Rice | Louisiana Tech - Feb 9th & 11th, 2023

FAU Takes On Rice and Bulldogs

What: RV FAU (22-2, 12-1) vs. Rice (15-8, 6-6) | Louisiana Tech (13-10, 6-6)

When: Thur. Feb. 9th, @ 7:00 PM | Sat. Feb 11th, @ 2:00 PM

Where: The Burrow - Abessinio Court at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena

Series: FAU is tied 4-4 with Rice, while the Bulldogs have an 8-3 advantage over them. This is FAU's first matchups against both teams this season.

TV Both Games: ESPN+

Radio Both Games: FoxSports 640

Live Stats Both Games: Here

Lines: Rice FAU -14 | Louisiana Tech FAU -11

FAU at a Glance

Offense - 77 PPG, 47% FG, 37% 3PT

Defense - 64 PPGA, 40% FGA, 33% 3PTA

Rebounding - 39 RPG Owls, 33 RPG Opponents

Owl Notables

All good things had to come to an end for the Owls, which included their program-record winning streak of 20 games.

Following Thursday's loss at UAB, they bounced back with a resounding victory over Charlotte on Saturday where they only allowed 52 points. Despite their efforts, they fell out of the AP Top 25 Poll and are on the outside looking in. Head coach Dusty May said he is more proud of how they are locked in and working together every day that allowed them to maintain that level of success throughout that stretch.

"I'm more proud of the way our guys carry themselves on a daily basis because that equates to being successful in life when they leave this place," head coach Dusty May said.

May said the team is trying to scale back their workload in practice to maintain good habits and not develop bad habits, wanting to get their legs back under them when the bye week comes around.

"If we can go into the bye week with a little bit of momentum, we can refocus on just improving and not having to prepare for a scout every practice," May said.

Streak & Record Updates

Most wins in a season at 22
Home win streak of 14 games (record 15)

Expect junior center Vlad Goldin to get more touches. The junior center had one of his best performances against Charlotte finishing with 15 points and six rebounds, both team-highs. May attributed this to the momentum Goldin carried over from the contest against UAB.

"When you're as efficient as Vlad, we've got to find different ways to get him the ball," May said. "His passing and decision making, those were the things that really stood out to the staff. It was impressive seeing him hit our cutters and make the right reads almost every single possession."

Sophomore guard Bryan Greenlee had a rough last week, sustaining a minor leg injury in the loss at UAB. After coming off the bench and playing just 15 minutes against Charlotte, he will be available for this week's contests.

Rice Team Site: Here

Rice at a Glance

Offense - 78 PPG, 48% FG, 36% 3PT

Defense - 73 PPGA, 45% FGA, 35% 3PTA

Rebounding - 36 RPG, 33 RPG Opponents

Rice Notables

For the first time since the 2019-20 season, there will be a Battle of the Owls heading into Thursday night between FAU and Rice.

Rice enters the Burrow with a three-game losing streak, coming off of defeats to Louisiana Tech and North Texas this past week. They are not to be underestimated as the best shooting team in C-USA (27th in the country), as they took a late lead after going down 24 points in the former contest.

"Rice is similar to Charlotte in the way they play offensively and defensively so we should be able to not spend nearly as much time preparing for Rice," Dusty May said. "We got to come together, we got to use the crowd energy, the noise, and the excitement that our fans are bringing now and find a way to play good basketball at home."

FAU must prioritize limiting the production of Rice guard Quincy Olivari. He leads the team in scoring with 18.9 points per game while being one of their best perimeter shooters at 37.6% from deep. Getting the ball out of his hands and contesting every shot he takes will play a huge role in how FAU can succeed at the defensive end.

Keeping forward Max Fiedler in check will also be key. He is the only player in the country averaging 10 points, eight rebounds, and five assists per game as he is Rice's best playmaker topping the team in total assists (112). FAU should force him to make his shots at the free-throw line, where he's only converting at a rate of 53.5%.

FAU has to keep an eye on guard Mekhi Mason. Winning C-USA's Freshman of the Week on Feb. 6 (his third overall), Mason averaged 14.5 points on 57% shooting in that stretch including a team-high 17 points in the loss to North Texas. Forcing him to make early mistakes will benefit FAU as the game goes on.

Louisiana Tech Team Site: Here

Louisiana Tech at a Glance

Offense - 75 PPG, 46% FG, 35% 3PT

Defense - 69 PPGA, 43% FGA, 36% 3PTA

Rebounding - 34 RPG, 33 RPG Opponents

Bulldog Notables

Louisiana Tech men's basketball enjoyed a short week, coasting to a 80-72 victory over Rice last Thursday.

In the win, four Bulldogs scored in double-figures as guard Cobe Williams led the way with 20 points, eight assists, and four rebounds on 50% shooting from the field.

Dusty May likened the Bulldogs' play-style to North Texas, taking into account how they have a solid defense in C-USA allowing less than 69 points per game.

"They're extremely athletic, they're long, they present a number of challenges, and they're a lot different than Rice," May said. "We're gonna have to value the basketball and we're gonna have to defend one-on-one because they have elite speed."

FAU must emphasize taking care of the ball against Louisiana Tech. They are so excellent at making steals that they have two players rank in the top 35 in the nation for steals per game: Williams (2.1, 33rd) and forward Isaiah Crawford (2.09, 35th).

Shutting off the perimeter will prove beneficial for the Owls. Shooting 35% from beyond the arc this season, the Bulldogs rely on guard Keaston Willis as he currently has the most three-pointers made on the team with 57 as he knocks them down at a 37.5% clip. By limiting the shots that could be available for Louisiana Tech, FAU has a great chance at cruising to victory.

The Bulldogs will first play FIU on Thursday before heading to Boca Raton for Saturday's encounter.

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Twitter/X: @Rich26Pereira