SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State men's basketball team (5-1) returns to the friendly confines of Strahan Arena and hosts the Rice Owls (3-4) in a non-conference game at 7 p.m. Nov. 27 inside the newly-renovated Strahan Arena.
 
The Bobcats enters the game seeking their fourth straight victory after winning the Portland Classic championship and improving their record to 5-1 this season. Texas State has won both of its previous home games with a 67-57 victory over Air Force to open the season on Nov. 9 and defeating Hardin-Simmons 97-52 on Nov. 13.
 
Rice has a 3-4 record this season and closes a three-game road trip at Texas State. The Owls look to rebound from a losses at Wichita State (90-61) on Nov. 25 and at BYU (105-78) on Nov. 21.
 
THE COACHES
Texas State head coach Danny Kaspar is in his sixth season at Texas State and has a 79-89 record at the school. Kaspar ranks among the Top 22 NCAA Division I active head coaches with 544 career victories.
 
Rice head coach Scott Pera is in his second season as a head coach with a 10-28 career record at Rice. Pera was named the head coach after serving three seasons as an associate head coach with the Owls. He also was an assistant coach at Penn, Arizona State and Elizabethtown College.
 
SCOUTING TEXAS STATE
Texas State is ranked 11th nationally and leads the Sun Belt Conference in scoring defense, allowing just 57.3 points per game. The Bobcats rank 26th nationally and are second in the Sun Belt with an average scoring margin of 19.3 points per game.
 
The Bobcats are led by junior guard Nijal Pearson, who was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week and College Sports Madness Mid-Major Player of the Week after being named the Portland Classic MVP. Pearson ranks second among Sun Belt Conference scoring leaders with 20.3 points per game.
 
Senior guard Tre'Larenz Nottingham is averaging 11.7 points. Alex Peacock leads the team with 7.7 rebounds per game and averages 8.0 points per game.
 
SCOUTING RICE
Rice has three players averaging double figures in scoring. Ako Adams leads the Owls with 14.0 points per game, while Robert Martin averages 12.1 points per contest and graduate transfer Jack Williams is scoring 11.0 points per game. Williams also leads the Owls in rebounds with 7.1 per contest.
 
The Owls are averaging 76.9 points per game and allowing 80.4 points per contest.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Texas State and Rice will meet for the second straight season and 14th time overall on Wednesday. The Bobcats trail 9-4 in the series. Texas State snapped a five-game losing streak against the Owls last year, defeating Rice, 74-66, in Houston.
 
Wednesday's game marks just the third time the two teams have met in San Marcos, and the Bobcats will be looking for their first win against the Owls in Strahan Arena. The previous two meetings took place Dec. 22, 1990 (L 78-69) and Dec. 5, 2007 (L 88-81).
 
NEXT GAME
Texas State will travel to San Antonio on Saturday, Dec. 1,  to play in the I-35 Maroon-Orange Rivalry game against UTSA. The game tips off at 3 p.m. in UTSA's Convocation Center.