HOUSTON, TEXAS – After a week off, the University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team is back in action on Tuesday night at Rice University for a 7 p.m. tip-off at Tudor Fieldhouse.

The Cardinals (4-6) close out their non-conference schedule against the Owls (5-7) before Southland Conference play begins on January 2.  UIW is averaging 75.2 points per game and shooting 41.6 percent from the field.  Sophomore guard Jontrell Walker (Aurora, IL/West Aurora HS) leads the team with 15.9 points per game and is shooting 95.3 percent from the foul line.  Senior forward Kyle Hittle (New Braunfels/New Braunfels HS) chips in with 14.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game.  Derail Green (Houston/Klein Forest HS) chips in with just under 11 points per contest and Shawn Johnson (New Orleans, LA/Alief Hastings HS) puts in 8.6 points per game and leads the team with 7.2 rebounds per game.

The Owls are averaging a point less than the Cardinals, but are shooting 43.5 percent from the field.  They are led by the duo of Marcus Evans and Egor Koulechov who are each scoring 19 points per game.  Evans also averages over two steals per game while Koulechov has made 36 three-pointers and leads the team with 6.6 rebounds per game.

Rice will be providing audio and video streaming through their website that can be accessed through the uiwcardinals.com page.
####
pr15635smm