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As both Florida State and Rice try to bounce back from subpar seasons, the two squads will test each other in an early-season contest Saturday night in Houston as part of the Battleground 2k24 Classic.

The Seminoles (1-0) won their 20th regular-season opener in coach Leonard Hamilton’s 23-year tenure Monday with a 74-62 win at home over Northern Kentucky.

The Owls (1-0) were also victorious on Tuesday night at home when they held off a late rally by FIU for a 77-70 victory.

Rice went 11-21 overall last season and went 6-8 in nonconference games. Florida State just barely finished with a winning record, going 17-16.

The Seminoles hope they have the right mix of veterans and newcomers to reestablish a program that was in the Elite Eight in 2021 but has missed the NCAA Tournament each of the past three seasons.

Senior Jamir Watkins and sophomore Taylor Bol Bowen each had 17 points in the opening-night win. For Watkins, it was his 20th consecutive double-figure scoring game, while for Bol Bowen it was a career high.

“I thought we were able to get a lot of guys in the game during critical parts and have input in the game,” Hamilton said. “At one time we had three or four freshmen on the floor gaining some experience.”

For Rice, the win over FIU was its first victory under new coach Rob Lanier.

The Owls were also able to play most of their roster with 11 players seeing action. Caden Powell led Rice with his second career double-double as he finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Trae Broadnax also figures to be key for the Owls this season, and he finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and a game-high six assists.

The Owls shot 46.2 percent overall, but struggled from 3-point range, shooting just 25 percent.

“In terms of rotation, we’re figuring things out in real time,” Lanier said. “The rotation was choppy, the execution was choppy, and the defense was inconsistent. But there is a growing connection inside the team, and I think that’s what carried us through.”

–Field Level Media