Jan. 26, 2007

Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane basketball team begins a two-game homestand this Saturday with revenge on its mind when Rice invades Fogelman Arena for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.

Earlier this season in the conference opener for both teams at Rice, the Owls needed overtime to send TU home with a 75-70 loss. The Green Wave (8-9, 1-4 C-USA) sports a 6-3 home mark at Fogelman Arena, but is 0-2 during league play. Tulane will look to pick up its first home conference win and avenge the loss and avoid the season sweep against Rice on Saturday.

For the year, Tulane is averaging 66.1 points and 38.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 43.5 percent from the field, 32.1 percent from behind the three-point line and 64.9 percent from the free-throw line.

Junior David Gomez is TU's top scorers with 14.1 and is also the leading rebounder with 6.4 boards per contest. Senior Andrew Garcia leads the team in assists with 3.7 per game.

Since claiming its overtime win at home against Tulane, Rice (10-8, 4-1 C-USA) has suffered just one loss, a 72-67 decision on the road at UCF, and enters Saturday's match-up having won four out of its last five games and is sitting in second place in the C-USA standings. RU is averaging 71.0 points per game in conference play, while surrendering 64.8 points per contest.

The Owls are 1-3 overall and 1-1 in league play on the road this season. Rice's only road win this season came at East Carolina, 64-47, on Jan. 13. Prior to the win at ECU, Rice had dropped its two previous road outings and is 2-2 at neutral sites.

Morris Almond, the nation's third-leading scorer, leads the Rice attack and is the only Owl player averaging double figures with 27.7 points per game and is also the top rebounder with 6.9 boards per outing. Lorenzo Williams is the top assist leader with 4.4 per contest.

Rice is averaging 71.8 points and 35.4 rebounds per game and is shooting 44.3 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc and 72 percent from the foul line.

Saturday's game marks the 40th all-time meeting between Tulane and Rice, and the Owls lead the series, 23-16. However, the Green Wave boasts a 12-6 overall mark at home vs. Rice. Last season at Fogelman Arena, Rice's Morris Almond nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer to down TU, 60-57. Prior to the loss, the Wave had won six straight at home against Rice dating back to 1975.