Rice University
2-4
#6 Texas
5-1
Rice Falls To No. 6 Texas
11/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 30, 2008
Final Stats
Rice vs. Texas Game Book in PDF Format 
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -Justin Mason scored 14 points and No. 6 Texas shook off any lingering jet lag from a holiday tournament in Hawaii with a 77-56 win over Rice on Sunday.
Gary Johnson added 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds for the Longhorns (5-1), who arrived back in Austin on Friday after playing in the Maui Invitational. Five Texas players scored in double figures against the Owls (2-4), who kept it close in the first half until the Longhorns pulled away with an 11-1 run to start the second.
Lucas Kuipers led Rice (2-4) with 19 points, hitting four 3-pointers. Texas held Rice to 33 percent shooting.
Texas is 86-9 against opponents from the Lone Star State in coach Rick Barnes' 11 seasons with the Longhorns.
Texas guard A.J. Abrams, the Longhorns' leading scorer this season and one of the best 3-point shooters in the country, finished with 10 points after making just one from long range.
The Longhorns looked in the first half as if they might still be tired after the long flight home. Abrams took only one shot in the first half - he was fouled so it didn't even show up on the stat sheet - and spent much of it on the bench after he picked up two of his own. Kuipers made three 3-pointers in the half and Rice led 19-17 before Texas reserve guard Dogus Balbay and Varez Ward sparked an 8-0 Texas run.
Balbay finished a fast break with an arcing layup over a defender, then jumped in the paint for a tip-in. He then had a steal that led to a basket by Johnson that put Texas up 25-19.
Balby, a sophomore from Turkey, ended the half with an assist to Mason, who made a 3-pointer with six seconds left to give the Longhorns a 37-30 lead at halftime.
Abrams scored two quick baskets to open the second half and the Longhorns built the lead to 48-31 as the Owls misfired on several 3-pointers. Abrams finally took - and made - a 3-pointer, with 10:31 to play that made it 57-41. The Owls were able to trim the lead to and Texas coasted the rest of the way.
