GAME NOTES: The team with the best overall record in Conference USA is home on Thursday night, as the Old Dominion Monarchs entertain the Rice Owls at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

Just last week, the Monarchs were nationally ranked after getting off to their best start in program history (13-1), but that all changed on Saturday at Western Kentucky. After allowing no more than 54 points in any of the previous three outings, ODU surrendered a season-high 72 in a seven-point loss to the Hilltoppers at E.A. Diddle Arena. The only other blemish on the schedule for the Monarchs is a 64-45 defeat at the hands of Illinois State back in November.

As for the Owls, they have a total of just four wins in 14 opportunities, and half of those came against schools outside the Division I ranks (St. Edward's and St. Thomas) last month. More recently, the program came close but was shut down by North Texas at home last weekend, 66-63. It was the second straight loss, and the fourth in five games overall for Rice.

In terms of the all-time series between these programs, ODU is 2-0 thanks to a 55-51 victory at the Ted last season.

The Owls made a total of 19 field goals against North Texas, of which 12 came from 3-point range, but still that wasn't quite enough for the team to overcome 20 turnovers. The Mean Green kept the door open for Rice to make a move, but the hosts failed to capitalize on the fact that UNT converted just 12-of-28 shots at the free-throw line.

Marcus Jackson scored 22 points, pulled down six rebounds and handed out five assists in the losing effort, while Max Guercy and Seth Gearhart tacked on 15 and 11 points, respectively. Andrew Drone led the way on the glass with a game-high 11 rebounds for the Owls.

The leading scorer for the Owls in each of the last three games, Jackson has used 39.8 percent shooting beyond the arc to arrive at 14.2 ppg. But more than just the top scorer for the program, Jackson is also tops in the passing department with 50 assists and is one of the better rebounders with 4.0 per contest. Gearhart, now 41.4 percent accurate out on the perimeter, is responsible for another 13.9 ppg for a team generating just 62.9 ppg.

With little support from the bench, the starters for the Monarchs had to carry the load over the weekend in Bowling Green and came up short as Trey Freeman and Richard Ross were the only players to score in double figures with 20 and 13 points, respectively. The team shot a woeful 27.3 percent from 3-point range and was outscored at the free-throw line by a 24-11 margin.

A defensive-minded squad, the Monarchs are giving up 55.9 ppg based on just 38.5 percent shooting from the floor, and that includes a mere 29.1 percent behind the 3-point line. Freeman takes charge of the offense with his 16.3 ppg, handing out a team-best 49 assists along the way as well. Ross checks in with 9.2 ppg, a team-best 5.9 rpg and 26 blocked shots for a program that is beating opponents on the boards by 7.2 rpg.

After coming off a tough loss, the Monarchs are probably getting the right opponent at the right time. Rice has yet to really prove itself and against an ODU team that was regarded so highly just a few days ago, expect the Owls to take another tumble.