Mustangs Fall To Rice (with VIDEO)

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Mustangs Fall To Rice
Nyakundi, Samarrippas Pace SMU In 68-52 Loss

Jan. 11, 2012

DALLAS (AP) -- Arsalan Kazemi had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead Rice to a 68-52 victory over SMU on Wednesday night. The loss marked the first home defeat of the season for the Mustangs.

Ahmad Ibrahim added 14 points and Lucas Kuipers 10 for the Owls (10-7, 1-1 Conference USA), who shot 52.1 percent (25 of 48) from the floor en route to halting a three-game losing streak.

Robert Nyakundi scored 14 points and Jeremiah Samarrippas had 12 points and three steals for the Mustangs (9-7, 1-1).

Kazemi lost the Division I rebounding lead after being held to just four against Marshall on Saturday. He was back in form against SMU after entering the game third in the nation at 11.9 rebounds a game.

A 3-pointer by Ibrahim sparked an 11-1 Rice run over a 2:56 stretch of the second half. The Owls made six free throws during the surge, which gave them a 47-31 lead with 12:16 remaining, and the Mustangs got no closer than eight points afterward.

The Mustangs hit the road next for a conference game at UTEP on Saturday, Jan. 14. Tipoff is slated for 8:00 p.m.

Rice 68 at SMU 52
SMU Mustangs (9-7, 1-1 C-USA), Rice Owls (10-7, 1-1 C-USA)
January 11, 2012
Moody Coliseum
Dallas, Texas


NEXT GAME
at UTEP Miners
Saturday, Jan. 14 at 8 p.m.
Radio: KAAM 770 AM
Audio & Video: SMUMustangs.com

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Robert Nyakundi
- Scored 14 points
- Has 1141 career points (28th at SMU)
- Scored 10+ points for 14th time this season
- Made 2 3FG
- Has 226 career 3FG (3rd at SMU)
- Had 4 rebounds
- Added a steal and a block

Jeremiah Samarrippas
- Scored 12 points
- Had 3 assists
- Grabbed 3 rebounds
- Added 3 steals

Ryan Manuel
- Scored 7 points
- Was 3-3 on FG
- Added two steals and an assist

[SMUer]

Other Stats

FG Made-Attempted: 19-49 (.388)
3P Made-Attempted 07-26 (.269)
FT Made-Attempted 07-14 (.500)

That'll amount to a loss every time.