HOUSTON (Interstat) — Rice defeated Texas-San Antonio 80-71 in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game Sunday at Tudor Fieldhouse.

The Owls used a strong first half, taking a 45-32 lead into halftime, to secure the conference victory before a crowd of 1,299. The Roadrunners outscored Rice 39-35 after the break but could not close the gap.

Jalen Smith led all scorers with 25 points for Rice. Matheo Coffi posted a double-double for UTSA with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Rice improved to 13-18 overall, while Texas-San Antonio fell to 5-25.