GREENVILLE, N.C. (Interstat) — Two American Athletic Conference men’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Wednesday when the Rice Owls visit the East Carolina Pirates at Williams Arena.

Rice (8-12) arrives after a narrow 87-81 home loss to Tulsa on Saturday, despite a 24-point performance from guard Jalen Smith. The Owls have lost three of their last four, with the lone win in that stretch a road victory at Texas-San Antonio on Jan. 14.

East Carolina (6-14) snapped a six-game skid with a 63-59 road win at North Texas last Friday. The Pirates have struggled at home in conference play, however, dropping close decisions to Charlotte and UAB in overtime in their last two outings in Greenville.

Smith, who averages 12.1 points per game, has been a key offensive catalyst for Rice. He scored 18 points in the win over UTSA and is coming off his season-high 24 points against Tulsa. He will be challenged by an East Carolina defense anchored by forward Giovanni Emejuru, one of the league’s top rim protectors.

Emejuru is averaging 3.1 blocks per game in conference play. He is coming off a dominant 16-rebound, two-block effort in the win over North Texas and has recorded multiple blocks in seven straight games. His presence inside will test a Rice team that relies on perimeter scoring.

The Pirates won both meetings last season. In their most recent matchup, East Carolina secured a 70-56 victory in Houston on Feb. 10, 2025.

Both teams are looking to climb out of the lower tier of the AAC standings. Rice currently sits at 2-5 in conference play, while East Carolina is 1-6.

Following this game, Rice will travel to face Charlotte on Saturday. East Carolina hits the road for a Sunday contest at Florida Atlantic. The teams will meet again in Houston on Feb. 14.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.