MBB falls to conference-leading FAU in high scoring affair

The Rice men’s basketball team fell 90-81 to Florida Atlantic University on Thursday. It was a matchup of the Owls, but ultimately Sammy and Rice were no match for and moved to 23-2 on the season. The loss was Rice’s fourth consecutive in conference play, dropping the Owls to 6-7 record in Conference USA and 15-9 on the season.

Rice managed to keep the score close throughout the game but could not catch FAU after the first half. Five Rice turnovers in a three-minute span led to nine FAU fastbreak points, sparking a 15-3 run which started with 9:28 left in the first half and giving them a game-high lead of 13 points. After the game, head coach Scott Pera said their defense wasn’t able to help them close the gap.

“We just couldn’t get it under five [points],” Pera said. “Our defense wasn’t good enough to win the game.”

Behind strong games from junior guards Quincy Olivari and Travis Evee, who scored 27 and 25 points respectively, Rice was able to cut FAU’s lead to five points on seven occasions during the game. However, each time Rice closed the gap, FAU responded. After the game, head coach Scott Pera commended his team’s effort, saying Olivari and Evee are crucial for any future success.

“We got Travis and Quincy both going, which is what we have to have every night,” Pera said. “I’m really happy to see Travis kind of get back in his groove, making shots and seeing the ball go through the net because that is critical for our success.”

FAU’s top-rated offense proved to be too much for Rice to contain. Led by 7’1” sophomore center Vladislav Goldin, who scored a career high 19 points, FAU was able to dominate the interior and get close-range baskets inside the point. In total, four FAU players managed to score in double figures. Pera said that FAU’s depth made them difficult to stop.

“They play nine [players] and they all play a lot of minutes,” Pera said. “That’s kind of the magic potion on them. They’re deep, they’re talented and they’re connected. They deserve to win.”

Currently, FAU is projected to be a No. 9 seed in the NCAA tournament according to Joe Lunardi’s most recent bracket.

After a bounce back 85-78 win on the road versus Florida International University, Rice moved to 16-9 on the season and No. 5 in C-USA. Their next game is at Tudor Fieldhouse against the University of Texas at San Antonio, who are currently in last place in C-USA, on Feb. 16. The game will tip off at 7 p.m.

Graham said that his issues with his former boss stemmed from Karlgaard’s desire that Graham recruit nationally, while the College Baseball Hall of Famer preferred to focus his efforts on local prospects before branching out, in addition to their workplace dynamic.

“I always thought that instead of me being some sort of threat to Karlgaard, I should have been his mentor,” Graham said. “I think we’re still alienated.”

Even on his way out the door in 2018, when Karlgaard opted not to renew his contract after the first losing season of his entire tenure, Graham tried to convince his boss, a Stanford University alum, that his method was best.

“The rumor out of his office was that I wasn’t going to be brought back and it was affecting the team badly,” Graham said. “So I think it was in April, I asked for an interview and he informed me that I wasn’t going to come back. So I told him, ‘that [Rice] team that beat your school 14-2 for the national championship [in 2003] was with Texas players.’”

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Graham wanted to stay just one extra year, but Karlgaard wouldn’t budge, and the former head coach said that in hindsight, the decision was probably for the best.

“I thought I would miss it more than I do,” Graham said. “But I’m not in good health, and I don’t think I would have been in good health had I stayed at Rice.”

Former Rice baseball head coach Wayne Graham talks to a player. Graham, who has been retired since the 2018 season, reflected on his retirement and his connection to Rice.

HONG LIN TSAI / THRESHER

Had he stayed just one more year, Graham said he had a number of recruits lined up who would have left the program in better shape. He also hoped that Rice would replace him with his longtime assistant and current University of Texas at San Antonio head coach Pat Hallmark. Instead, Rice opted to hire Matt Bragga from Tennessee Tech University, who was fired after three seasons. Even as the Owls have endured five straight losing seasons, Graham said he still tries to keep up with Rice baseball when he can, but no more than other programs he feels some connection with.

“We follow college baseball in general, but I usually follow the programs that I had some association with,” Graham said. “Obviously we follow UTSA because of Pat Hallmark. He’s done very well there. And of course I’ve followed Mike Taylor [an assistant coach] at Baylor [University] and now I’ll follow Clay Van Hook who has a head job at [the University of Texas at] Arlington.” One former assistant however, University of Texas at Austin head coach David Pierce, takes up much more of his time than the rest. According to Graham, he spends most of his days at Longhorns practices, serving as an unofficial consultant of sorts.

“Me and David are close,” Graham said. “My wife and David’s wife, Susan, are close. And it’s worked out well, because we are within eight minutes of the stadium. We, in general, go to all the practices and communicate about baseball.”

Graham is 86 now, and will turn 87 in April. He spends his days reading, doing puzzles and exercising when he’s not helping Pierce, but he said it’s been hard to keep up his dayto-day activities as his health has worsened. Graham was recently diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, a condition caused by the build up of proteins in his heart. While he takes medication to manage, Graham said his declining health has tested his resolve.

“It’s not fun,” Graham said. “It’s an ordeal. But, you know, you react in life to the challenges you have.”

Athletic Director Joe Karlgaard declined to comment.