El Paso, TX (Sports Network) – Jeremy Williams scored 14 points to lead the Texas-El Paso Miners to a 66-43 decision over the Rice Owls in Conference-USA play at the Don Haskins Center.
Randy Culpepper added 12 points for UTEP (15-4, 3-1 C-USA), while Christian Polk tallied 11 points.
David Chadwick was the only player in double-figures for Rice (8-10, 0-4), as he finished with 10 points off the bench.
UTEP went into the break with a 31-23 lead after holding Rice to a lackluster 40.0 percent shooting effort in the first half.
The Miners pulled away in the second stanza, as they shot 52.0 percent from the floor, en route to the comfortable win.
The Miners scored 22 points off 16 Rice miscues, while the Owls tallied just two points off seven turnovers for Texas-El Paso.