HOUSTON, TEXAS --
Kyle Hittle (New Braunfels/New Braunfels HS) scored a season high 31 points to lead the University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team to an 82-76 win over Rice University at Tudor Fieldhouse Tuesday night.
The Cardinals (5-6) played without their leading scorer, Jontrelle Walker (Aurora, IL/West Aurora HS) but still found a way to upset the Owls. UIW trailed 25-20 with 8:27 left in the first half before a Hittle layup and a
Mitchell Badillo (Houston/Cy Falls HS) three-pointer tied the game at 25.
Shawn Johnson (New Orleans, LA/Alief Hastings HS) then made a layup to give the Cardinals the lead and would never look back. They took a 42-40 lead into halftime.
The second half was a very tight matchup. The Cardinals took their biggest lead of the night, 13, on a Hittle three pointer, but would then see that lead shrink to three
points after a 15-3 run by the Owls with 9:22 left in the game. The Cardinals benefitted from Hittle scoring 22 of his 31 in the second half and pulled away with the victory.
Hittle made six three pointers on the night and finished 12-of-18 from the field. He also added eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in the win. Johnson helped
with 16 points seven rebounds and three blocks, while Badillo and
Derail Green (Houston/Klein Forest HS) added 14 points each. Badillo also handed out seven assists
and had four steals. As a team, the Cardinals shot 51 percent from the field and 60 percent from beyond the arc.
The Owls (5-8) shot 42 percent from the field and 32 percent from the three-point line. Egor Koulechov led the way with 19 points and 17 rebounds to complete the double-
double. Marcus Evans scored 18 and Max Guercy finished with 17.
This was the Cardinals last game before starting Southland Conference play. They host Sam Houston State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
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