TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — Aniah Alexis scored 19 points and Dominique Ennis added 17 as Rice held off South Florida 70-68 in an American Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at the Sun Dome.

The Owls (11-3) led by six at halftime but needed a final defensive stand after the Bulls (7-7) closed the gap in the fourth quarter. Edyn Battle led South Florida with 16 points. Rice’s Shelby Hayes contributed 14 points.

South Florida, which was projected as a heavy favorite by analytics, had a chance to tie or win on its final possession but could not convert. A crowd of 2,105 watched the conference opener for both teams.