Lyle scores 33 points, leads UTSA in a 79-60 rout of Rice

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HOUSTON (AP) Deon Lyle knocked down eight 3-pointers and put up a season-high 33 points as UTSA crushed Rice, 79-60 on Saturday to close out the Conference USA regular season and prepare for the conference tournament.

With a fifth-place finish, the Roadrunners face the No. 12 seed, Texas-El Paso, in a first-round game Wednesday in Frisco, Texas. Rice (7-24, 4-14) will miss the conference tournament.

UTSA (18-13, 11-7) rolled to an 18-point lead by intermission and cruised to the win.

Lyle hit 11 of 24 shots from the field, including 8 of 19 from distance. Keaton Wallace put up 14 points and dished four assists and Giovanni De Nicolao added 11 points and four assists. The Roadrunners shot 51 percent from the field (29 of 57), including 15 of 34 from beyond the arc.

Connor Cashaw scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Owls. Najja Hunter and Ako Adams added 13 and 12 points, respectively.