HOUSTON—Tamir Jackson and Connor Frizzelle each scored 17 points and Arsalan Kazemi recorded his 11th career double-double as Rice defeated Grambling State 86-57 Sunday.
Kazemi finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Lucas Kuipers added 15 points for the Owls (2-0).
Donald Qualls led the Tigers (0-2) with 17 points, Brandon Wilson had 14 and Justin Patton 10.
Kuipers was 7-of-7 from the field, helping Rice shoot 52.6 percent. The Owls also made 20 of 21 free throws.
Grambling State, meanwhile, shot only 36.7 percent.
The Owls scored 24 of their points in the paint and outrebounded the Tigers 45-25.
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Houston defeats Alcorn State 88-68
HOUSTON—Maurice McNeill had 19 points and 12 rebounds to help Houston defeat Alcorn State 88-68 on Sunday.
McNeill scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half when Houston broke away from a 35-35 halftime tie. Adam Brown scored 23 points to lead the Cougars (2-0).
Alandise Harris added 15 points and Darian Thibodeaux 11 for Houston, which shot 65.5 percent from the field in the second half and 53.6 percent in the game. The Cougars scored nine straight points midway through the second half to build a 13-point lead and kept it in double digits the rest of the way.
Marquiz Baker led Alcorn State (0-2) with 23 points. Kendrick McDonald scored 17.
