Kazemi leads Rice to victory over SMU

Published Jan. 11, 2012 8:38 p.m. ET

foxsports

DALLAS (AP) -- Arsalan Kazemi had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead Rice to a 68-52 victory over SMU on Wednesday night.

Ahmad Ibrahim added 14 points and Lucas Kuipers 10 for the Owls (10-7, 1-1 Conference USA), who shot 52.1 percent (25 of 48) from the floor en route to halting a three-game losing streak.

Robert Nyakundi scored 14 points and Jeremiah Samarrippas had 12 points and three steals for the Mustangs (9-7, 1-1).

Kazemi lost the Division I rebounding lead after being held to just four against Marshall on Saturday. He was back in form against SMU after entering the game third in the nation at 11.9 rebounds a game.

A 3-pointer by Ibrahim sparked an 11-1 Rice run over a 2:56 stretch of the second half. The Owls made six free throws during the surge, which gave them a 47-31 lead with 12:16 remaining, and the Mustangs got no closer than eight points afterward.