HOUSTON (Interstat) — On a Sunday afternoon to close the regular season, the Rice Owls leveraged a dominant first-half offensive display to secure an 80-71 victory over the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners in an American Athletic Conference men’s basketball game at Tudor Fieldhouse.

A crowd of 1,299 saw the Owls (13-18, 8-10 AAC) build a commanding 13-point halftime lead behind a torrent of three-point shooting and never relinquish control, despite a persistent second-half effort from the Roadrunners (5-25, 2-16). The win gave Rice a regular-season sweep after a 16-point victory in San Antonio in January.

The most critical phase of the game unfolded in the opening period, where Rice established a cushion that Texas-San Antonio could never fully erase. The Owls shot with efficiency from deep early, with guards Jalen Smith and Nick Anderson providing the firepower. Smith, a sophomore from Orlando, Florida, scored 15 of his game-high 25 points before halftime, while Anderson, a Houston native, added 11 of his 20 in the first frame. Their combined efforts propelled Rice to a 45-32 lead at the break.

Texas-San Antonio, which has now lost five straight games, struggled to find consistent offense outside of forward Matheo Coffi and guard Baboucarr Njie in the first half. Coffi, a 6-foot-8 sophomore from Strasbourg, France, was a force inside, compiling 12 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double, but the Roadrunners could not keep pace with Rice’s perimeter scoring barrage.

The second half saw the Roadrunners chip away at the deficit, outscoring the Owls 39-35. A driving force was the play of forward Brent Moss, who recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. His activity inside and a three-pointer from Dorian Hayes with 7:18 remaining cut the Rice lead to 71-69, marking the closest the Roadrunners had been since the opening minutes.

That surge, however, represented the peak of the Texas-San Antonio comeback attempt. Rice responded immediately and decisively. On the ensuing possession, Jalen Smith connected on a crucial three-point stepback jumper to push the lead back to five. After a defensive stop, guard Trae Broadnax of Savannah, Georgia, who finished with 12 points and five assists, drove for a layup to extend the advantage to 76-69 with just over four minutes to play.

The Owls’ defense tightened from that point, forcing difficult shots and securing key rebounds. Texas-San Antonio managed only two more points over the next three and a half minutes, as Rice closed the game on a 9-2 run to seal the victory. A final dunk by Rice’s Stephen Giwa, a 6-foot-9 forward from Houston who grabbed 10 rebounds, provided the exclamation point in the closing minute.

Beyond the scoring of Smith and Anderson, Rice benefited from a balanced effort. Broadnax facilitated the offense, and Andrew Akuchie contributed six points, eight rebounds and two blocks. For Texas-San Antonio, Coffi’s 14-rebound performance anchored the glass, while Njie added 16 points and Jamir Simpson scored 11.

The game concluded the regular season for both teams as they look ahead to the American Athletic Conference tournament. Rice will enter with some momentum from a winning conference record at home, while Texas-San Antonio seeks to reset after a difficult campaign.