GAME NOTES: The Rice Basketball Challenge rolls on this evening as the host team welcomes the South Alabama Jaguars to Tudor Fieldhouse for second-day action.

On Friday evening, the Owls kicked off their 2009-10 campaign and this quick event with an 81-51 victory over Sacramento State. On Sunday, Rice will complete its portion of the tournament when it confronts Houston Baptist, a team it has beaten in all four previous matchups.

As for the Jaguars, they logged their fifth straight season-opening win on Friday as well with a 76-64 triumph over the Huskies. The three-day event will see USA back in action on Sunday as well, taking on the Hornets.

South Alabama won the only other meeting between these two programs back in 1975, a 112-64 blowout as part of the Senior Bowl Tournament in Mobile.

The Jaguars took a little time to warm up on Friday, shooting just 40 percent from the field in the first half before hitting 52 percent after the break to capture the 12-point victory. In addition to turning the ball over 17 times, the other weak area for South Alabama came behind the three-point line where the squad missed all five opportunities. Nevertheless, the team did do well to hold the Huskies to a mere 1-of-15 beyond the arc and force Houston Baptist into 19 turnovers. Martino Brock came close to logging a double-double for the Jags with his team-high 21 points and nine rebounds, while LaShaun Watson came off the bench to offer up 17 points in just 20 minutes and Gary Redus checked in with 10 points for the winners. While it didn't come into play given the margin of victory, USA's mere 22-of-35 effort at the free-throw line might be something the team will have to concern itself with when the competition gets tougher.

The Owls wasted little time in showing who was in control on Friday, soaring to a 13-0 lead just five minutes into the first half and never looking back in the easy win versus Sacramento State. Against the Hornets, a team that didn't win a single road game all of last season, Rice limited the visitors to only 34 percent shooting from the field and 6-of-23 behind the three-point line, all while forcing 18 turnovers. Connor Frizzelle led the offensive attack for the locals with his 18 points on 4-of-5 shooting behind the three-point line and 7-of-10 from the floor overall. Lucas Kuipers contributed another 12 points and a team-best eight rebounds, followed by Suleiman Braimoh and Arsalan Kazemi who each accounted for 10 points. Winners of just 10 games all of last season, the Owls had just a single double-digit scorer on the 2008-09 roster in Rodney Foster (12.0 ppg), but he is no longer with the program which means someone like Kuipers (8.8 ppg) will have to help bridge the gap.

After crushing the Hornets last night, the confidence level of the Owls has to be at least moving in the right direction. However, this South Alabama team is a completely different beast and not one that Rice should be taking lightly.

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