DaShaun Williams hit all five of his shots from the field, scoring 11 points for the Cougars (20-6, 9-3 Conference USA).
Rodney Foster scored 22 points to lead Rice (3-23, 0-13). Patrick Britton added 10 points and five rebounds.
The Cougars held a 31-18 advantage in bench scoring.
Houston opened up a 36-26 lead at halftime. The game featured nine lead changes.
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