After First Loss, Rebels Look to Bounce Back Against Rice Tonight

The Ole Miss Rebels look to rebound on the court tonight against the Rice Owls in Las Vegas. Tipoff for the contest is set for 9 p.m. on ESPNU.
Ole Miss (3-1) dropped its first game of the season on Monday night to the Utah Utes 83-74. A hot hand from senior Deandre Burnett, who knocked down five buckets from beyond the arc in that game, was not enough to get the Rebels over the hump.
Junior Terence Davis has showcased his scoring ability through the early portion of this season, ranking 10th in the SEC and leading Ole Miss with 17.8 points per game.
Markel Crawford, a new face this season in a Rebel uniform, leads the team in steals with nine through the first four games of the season. Ole Miss leads the conference with 33 steals.
Rice enters tonight’s matchup with a 1-3 record following a 95-68 loss to UNLV on Monday night. The Owls have also suffered setbacks to Eastern Kentucky and Georgia State, two teams the Rebels have defeated already this season.
Three Owls are averaging double figures in scoring, led by Connor Cashaw (16.5 points per game), who also leads the team in rebounding (7.3 rebounds per game). A.J. Lapray is averaging 11.8 points off the bench, while Ako Adams is scoring 11.5 ppg.
Scott Pera is in his first season as Rice’s head coach after spending the past three years as the team’s associate head coach.
The Rebels and Owls will meet for the first time in 24 years. Rice leads the all-time series 2-1, thanks to a pair of victories in a home-and-home during the 1992-93 season. Ole Miss won the first contest between the two programs, a 70-60 victory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, during the 1983-84 campaign.

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Adam Brown is the sports editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.
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