HOUSTON (Interstat) — Temple held off a late Rice rally for a 69-65 victory in American Athletic Conference men’s basketball on Wednesday night at Tudor Fieldhouse.

The visiting Owls led 33-32 at halftime and maintained a narrow edge throughout a defensive second half. Temple’s Jordan Mason scored 15 points, while Aiden Tobiason and Derrian Ford also each added 15. Rice’s Trae Broadnax led all scorers with 17 points.

Temple secured the win at the free-throw line, making 14 of 17 attempts compared to Rice’s 5 of 7. The Owls also forced nine turnovers while committing only six. Temple improved to 12-7 overall, while Rice fell to 8-11. An announced crowd of 1,183 attended.