Rice University
-1317,511 CUSA
Houston
-1217,412 CUSA
Rice Ends Regular Season with Win Over Houston, 72-57
3/5/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 5, 2011
Rice vs. Houston Final Game Box 
2011 Buick Conference USA Tournament Bracket
HOUSTON - Rice junior forward Lucas Kuipers sank a trio of three-point baskets in the first five minutes of the game and went on to score a team-high 15 points in helping lead the Owls to a 72-57 win over Houston Saturday evening in Hofheinz Pavilion.
Coupled with a 79-71 overtime victory over the Cougars earlier in the year, Rice swept both games in the series for only the second time in program history. The Owls also won both games in 1993. With the victory, Rice improved to 13-17 and 5-11 in Conference USA play. Houston closed out the regular season at 12-17 and 4-12.
With Saturday's win, Rice earned the No. 10 seed at next week's 2011 Buick Conference USA Tournament in El Paso and will play No. 7 seed SMU Wednesday night at 9 p.m. Central in the last of four, first-round games. The winner will advance to take on No. 2 seed Tulsa on Thursday.
SMU swept both games from Rice this season including a 76-66 overtime win in Dallas less than two weeks ago.
On Saturday, Rice never trailed when Bryan Beasley knocked down a three-pointer to give the Owls an early 3-2 lead. Rice would make nine, three-pointers in the game, one shy of a season high.
Kuipers would knock down his trio of outside shots, the last breaking the only tie of the game and giving the Owls a 13-10 lead with 15:15 to play.
Rice made eight of its nine three-pointers in the first half. Connor Frizzelle's three-pointer with two seconds left in the first half gave the Owls a 40-27 lead at the break.
Houston closed the Owls' lead to as few as seven points twice in the first half.
Consecutive baskets by the Cougars' Kendrick Washington and later a 1-for-2 trip to the line by Maruice McNeil cut the Owls' lead to seven, 60-53.
Kuipers would take a pass from Cory Pflieger and drive for a layup to stop the Cougar surge and spark a 10-0 Rice run. Tamir Jackson's steal and fast break layup capped the rally.
Kuipers led Rice in scoring for the second straight game this season. Jackson finished with 13 points as did Arsalan Kazemi who also grabbed eight rebounds. Frizzelle finished with 12 points.
Rice outrebounded the Cougars 35-29. The Owls turned the ball over a season-low five times.
Houston was led by Zamal Nixon's 18 points while Alandise Harris and Darian Thibodeuax each finished with 12 points.
