SAN ANTONIO – UTSA's men's basketball program will be back on the road this Thursday evening, as the Roadrunners head to Houston to face off with the fifth-ranked team in Conference USA, Rice. Thursday night's game is set to tip off at 7 p.m., will be streamed on ESPN+ and will be broadcast on Ticket 760 AM.
The Roadrunners (7-19, 1-14) will look to snap a late-season skid as it heads to Rice in the return game of a matchup that featured an overtime loss to the Owls the last time they met. Rice (16-9, 7-7 C-USA) has lost four of its last five, having just snapped a four-game skid with a victory over FIU.
Leading the Roadrunners
UTSA is led on offense by a quartet of double-digit scorers. Leading the way is JUCO transfer Japhet Medor who churns out a team-high 12.9 points per game. Medor not only leads the team in scoring but also in assists (81) and steals (31) while pulling down 3.2 boards per contest – the fourth most by any Roadrunner. Medor has five 20+ point outings this season and scored a career-high 30 points against Rice on 1/16 in the teams' previous meeting. Medor leads C-USA in free throws attempted.
Flanking Medor in the backcourt is fellow JUCO newcomer guard John Buggs III. Buggs chips in 10.0 points per game and he has two 20+ point outings this year. Buggs hit a buzzer-beating three against Middle Tennessee on Jan. 5 to give the Roadrunners its lone C-USA victory. Freshman DJ Richards also averages double-digit points as the rookie has upped his average to 10.5 points per game. Richards, a two-time C-USA Freshman of the Week (D12, D19), is shooting the three ball at a 34.8% clip which is the second-best best on the team to Buggs who shoots 37.4%. Richards is second on the team in rebounding, pulling in 4.7 boards a game.
Senior stalwart Jacob Germany is the final double-digit scorer and averages 12.2 points per game. The fourth-year Roadrunner out of Kingston, Okla. is pulling in 8.0 rebounds per contest too, the third-most by any player in C-USA. Germany, a 2021-22 Conference USA All-Conference Honorable Mention, adds a team-high 19 total blocks to the mix. Germany has seven double-doubles this season.
Overall, the Roadrunners are shooting 39.8 percent as a team from the field and holding foes to 44.4 percent. UTSA averages 67.1 points, 34.9 rebounds, 10.6 assists, 3.7 steals and 2.4 blocks per game as a team.
Scouting Rice
Rice boasts three double-digit scorers, with its leading scorer being Quincy Olivari, the third-highest scorer in Conference USA. Olivari averages 19.6 points per contest and also leads the team in defensive rebounds and three-pointers made.
Max Fiedler, one of the double-digit scorers, averages 11.3 points per game and leads the Owls in rebounding as he pulls down 8.1 rebounds a game, the second most in the conference. Fiedler leads all of Conference USA in assists, averaging five a game, and recorded the Owls' second-ever triple-double when the two teams last met in January. Fiedler is also the backbone of the backline defense, owning 28 blocks to lead the team. Travis Evee (16.0) also averages double-digit points and leads the team in steals, owning 32 on the season.
Overall, the Owls are shooting 47.9 percent as a team from the field and holding foes to 45.8 percent. Rice averages 78.7 points, 35.8 rebounds, 15.7 assists, 6.0 steals and 2.3 blocks per game as a team.
Series History
Saturday afternoon's game between the Roadrunners and the Owls will be the 21st meeting between the two schools all-time. Rice and UTSA met earlier this season in San Antonio with the Owls winning the game, 88-81 in overtime. UTSA leads the series, 11-9.
Up Next
UTSA will return home to the Convocation after its weeknight road trip to host the UAB Blazers in a Saturday matinee. The UAB game, scheduled for Fe. 18, is set to tip off at 3 p.m., will be streamed on Stadium and will be broadcast on Ticket 760 AM.
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