Rice University
-312, 02 CUSA
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UTEP
-114, 20 CUSA
Owls Downed By Miners, 71-43
1/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 12, 2008
EL PASO, Texas (AP) - Stefon Jackson scored 22 points and Randy Culpepper added 18 off the bench to lead Texas-El Paso past Rice 71-43 on Saturday.
Jackson was 9-of-13 shooting, and Culpepper made four of 11 from 3-point range for the Miners (11-4, 2-0 Conference USA).
Paulius Packevicius was the only player in double figures for Rice (3-12, 0-2) with 13 points. Packevicius scored eight early points in the opening half before picking up his third personal foul with 9:26 to play in the period. UTEP led 19-15 at the time of Packevicius' player control foul. With the senior on the bench most of the remaining time in the half, the Miners closed out the period with a 19-6 run.
UTEP led at the break, 38-21.
Rice was down 18 early in the second half when Culpepper hit a 3-pointer to start a 15-2 run that put the Miners ahead 61-30 with 9:37 remaining. The Owls were just 5-of-23 from the field (22 percent) in the second half and shot 30 percent for the game.
Rice utilized its 11th starting lineup of the season as injuries continue to plague the program. Rodney Foster suffered a knee injury Wednesday that left three perimeter players in street clothes for the game. Point guard Chris Hagan and shooting guard Cory Pflieger both suffered injuries that have sidelined them since November.
Christopher Szalay had been apart of the Owl program as a walkon the past two seasons and rejoined the team late this week. At one point in both halves, Szalay along with football players Pierre Beasley and Chance Talbert were on the floor all at the same time. Szalay scored nine points on 3-for-7 shooting from three-point range and had one assist in 19 minutes of play. The Houston native had scored 10 points in seven career games before Saturday's contest.
Talbert finished with a career-high five points and three rebounds. Beasley had four steals and two assists in the game.
UTEP guards Julyan Stone and Marvin Kilgore scored just two points apiece, but they engineered the offense by combining for 11 of the Miners' 17 assists against just 15 turnovers.
Rice returns to play Wednesday when the Owls play host to No. 2 Memphis. The game is set for 7 p.m. in Reliant Arena. UTEP's next game is also in Houston as the Miners take on UH next Saturday.
