HOUSTON (AP) -- Michael Harris had 27 points and 14 rebounds as Rice beat Louisiana Tech 78-57 on Saturday.
Harris hit 10 of 13 shots from the field and went 7-of-8 from the free throw line for the hot-shooting Owls (7-3, 2-0 Western Athletic). Rice hit 58 percent from the field, compared to just under 40 percent for Louisiana Tech (6-5, 1-1).
Walt Chancellor scored 21 and Patrick Bratton added 10 for Rice.
Paul Millsap led Louisiana Tech with 14 points and eight rebounds, but he also committed six turnovers and fouled out. Barry Thompson and Cory Dean added 11 each.
The Owls dominated inside and played tough defense.
They outscored Louisiana Tech 40-20 in the paint, lead by a front court that hit 15 of 19 shots. Rice also outrebounded Louisiana Tech 37-24 and and outscored the Bulldogs 29-12 in points off turnovers.
