HOUSTON (Interstat) — Rice used a dominant second-half performance to pull away from Texas A&M-Commerce for a 71-64 win in a non-conference men’s basketball game Friday night at Tudor Fieldhouse. The game was tightly contested at halftime, with the Owls holding a narrow 26-25 lead, but they outscored the Lions 45-39 after the break to secure the victory.

Jalen Smith led Rice with 18 points, while teammates Trae Broadnax and Dallas Hobbs each added 15. Noah Pagotto scored 14 points to pace Texas A&M-Commerce. The Owls’ success was fueled by sharp three-point shooting, making 11 of 21 attempts from beyond the arc. Rice improved to 2-2, while Texas A&M-Commerce fell to 1-3.