PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — In a matchup of American Athletic Conference Owls, the visiting Rice squad from Houston used a decisive second-half surge to secure an 80-74 victory over Temple on Sunday at Liacouras Center, avenging a narrow home loss from just over a month ago.

Rice, which entered the contest as a significant underdog according to national projections, improved to 12-17 overall. Temple fell to 15-13. An announced crowd of 2,684 saw the game.

The contest was a tale of two halves, with the outcome ultimately decided by Rice’s superior offensive execution and a critical stretch of defensive pressure after halftime. The first half was a tightly contested affair, featuring 10 lead changes and ending with Temple holding a slim 36-35 advantage. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc early, but Temple’s ability to get to the free-throw line, where they made 10 of 13 attempts in the period, provided their marginal lead.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the second half’s opening minutes. Rice emerged from the locker room with heightened intensity, immediately erasing the deficit. The pivotal sequence began with just over 16 minutes remaining. With Rice leading 44-42, Temple’s Derrian Ford committed a turnover, which was stolen by Rice’s Nick Anderson. On the ensuing possession, Trae Broadnax found Jalen Smith for a 3-pointer, pushing the lead to five. On Temple’s next trip, Masiah Gilyard was fouled on a made layup, but Rice’s defense held firm as he missed the subsequent free throw. Rice then capitalized when Anderson drew a foul on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws after a Temple timeout. This 6-0 spurt, fueled by a steal and disciplined offense, extended Rice’s lead to 50-45 and forced another Temple timeout.

Rice never relinquished that momentum. They maintained a working margin between five and nine points for much of the remainder of the game, consistently answering any Temple push with a key basket. Temple closed to within 71-69 with just over two minutes left after an Aiden Tobiason layup, but Rice’s Andrew Akuchie responded with a powerful dunk on the next possession. Temple would get no closer than four points the rest of the way as Rice sealed the game at the free-throw line.

The statistical ledger underscored Rice’s winning formula. They posted an offensive rating of 121.2 points per 100 possessions, significantly outperforming Temple’s 113.2. While both teams shot efficiently from the field—Rice at 51.8% and Temple at 50.0%—the visitors won the battle of ball security and creation. Rice committed only seven turnovers while forcing 10 from Temple, and they tallied seven steals to Temple’s three. Perhaps most telling was the assist column, where Rice’s seven more than doubled Temple’s total of three, indicating a more fluid and connected offensive performance.

Nick Anderson led all scorers with 21 points for Rice, adding three assists and two steals in 34 minutes. He was supported by backcourt mates Jalen Smith and Trae Broadnax, who each contributed 15 points. Broadnax also had two assists, a block, and a key late-game steal. For Temple, Aiden Tobiason and Derrian Ford each scored 20 points, while Masiah Gilyard added 11. Temple’s Jordan Mason filled the stat sheet with eight points, four assists, and a block.

The victory marked a measure of revenge for Rice, which had fallen 69-65 to Temple in Houston on Jan. 21. It also snapped a two-game losing skid for Rice, while Temple has now dropped three of its last four contests.

Rice will look to build on the road win when they travel to face North Texas on Wednesday. Temple aims to regroup at home against Tulane on Thursday.