Austin, TX (Sportsbooks) - Justin Mason had 14 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead the sixth-ranked Texas Longhorns to a 77-56 triumph over the Rice Owls. Texas used a balanced attack with five players registering double digit scoring, including Damion James (12) Connor Atchley (11) and A.J. Abrams (10). Gary Johnson netted 12 points and grabbed eight boards off the bench for the Longhorns (5-1), whose lone loss came by one point to Notre Dame, another top 10 team. That defeat came in the Maui Invitational, and Texas won two of its three games at the event, including a 70-57 decision over Oregon on Wednesday. Lucas Kuipers logged a game-high 19 points off the bench for Rice (2-4), which has dropped two straight and three of four overall. The Owls shot a paltry 33.3 percent from the floor with their starting five going a combined 9-for-38. Cory Pflieger had six points and eight rebounds while Connor Frizzelle, Rodney Foster and Trey Stanton each donated seven points in the loss. Texas held a seven-point edge at the break, 37-30, and put the game away with a 40-26 second-half advantage. Game Notes Texas owns a commanding 132-59 series advantage over Rice, including an 80-54 decision over the Owls last season...Texas shot 49.1 percent (27-of-55) from the floor. |
