HOUSTON (Interstat) — Victoria Flores scored 24 points, including several critical free throws in the final minute, to lead Rice to a 79-72 victory over South Florida in an American Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at Tudor Fieldhouse.

The win improved the Owls to 22-3 overall and marked their 10th consecutive victory. South Florida fell to 16-11 despite a 20-point effort from Edyn Battle.

The game’s pivotal sequence unfolded in the closing 36 seconds with Rice clinging to a 77-72 lead. After a South Florida timeout, the Bulls were forced to foul. Flores, a 5-foot-7 guard from Dallas, was sent to the line twice, calmly sinking all four free throws to seal the outcome. She finished 8 for 10 from the foul line and added three assists in 35 minutes.

Rice never trailed after the first quarter but could not fully shake a persistent South Florida squad. The Owls built a 35-26 halftime lead, capitalizing on 11 first-half points from Shelby Hayes and forcing nine Bulls turnovers. South Florida, however, mounted a charge after the break, outscoring Rice 24-22 in the third quarter behind 10 points from Battle to trim the deficit to 57-50 entering the final period.

The Bulls continued to press in the fourth, closing to within four points on multiple occasions. A driving layup by L’or Mputu, who had 12 points and two blocks, made it 71-67 with just over four minutes remaining. Each time South Florida threatened, Rice had an answer, often from Flores or in the paint, where the Owls held a 36-30 advantage.

With 1:51 left, Flores drew a foul on a three-point attempt and made two free throws to push the lead to 75-70. After a South Florida miss, Aniah Alexis secured a key defensive rebound, leading to the final foul-and-free-throw sequence that iced the game for the Owls.

Hayes finished with 15 points for Rice, while Hailey Adams added 13 points, three assists and a block. Aniah Alexis contributed 10 points and three assists.

For South Florida, Stefanie Ingram logged 36 minutes and scored 13 points with four assists. Mputu’s 12 points and Katie Davidson’s nine rounded out the top scorers for the Bulls. The team struggled with consistency, scoring only nine points in the opening quarter to fall behind 14-9, a deficit they spent the rest of the game trying to overcome.

Rice’s victory completed a regular-season sweep of South Florida, having also won 70-68 in Tampa on Dec. 30. The Owls shot efficiently from the field and capitalized on South Florida mistakes, scoring nine points off turnovers.

The game was attended by 1,011 fans. Rice entered as a significant favorite, with statistical models giving the Owls a 66.4% chance of victory.

Rice will look to extend its winning streak Saturday at East Carolina. South Florida returns home to host Florida Atlantic on Saturday.