HOUSTON — No. 26 ranked Rice ended UTSA's season with a 4-0 victory on Friday in the opening round of the Conference USA Tournament.
The host Owls (21-7) avenged a setback to the Roadrunners (3-20) in the title match of last year's conference tournament with their second win of the season against UTSA.
Rice grabbed the early lead by taking the doubles point.
Jamie Malik and Adam Gustafson teamed up for a 6-1 win against Christian Carrillo and Joao Riquelme at the No. 2 spot. The 30th-ranked duo of Tommy Bennett and David Warren then clinched the point with a 6-4 decision against Fabian Brand ad Diogo Casa on center court.
Bennett gave the top-seed Owls a 2-0 advantage when he dispatched Eric Buchalter with a 6-0, 6-2 triumph at No. 2 singles.
Emanuel Llamas downed Jake Rother, 6-1, 6-4, at No. 5 singles to put Rice within one point of advancing to the semifinals.
Warren then secured the victory with a 6-4, 6-3 victory on the fourth court, sending the Owls into Saturday's semifinals against UAB.
#26 Rice 4, UTSA 0
Doubles
1. #30 Tommy Bennett/David Warren (RICE) def. Fabian Brand/Diogo Casa (UTSA) 6-4
2. Adam Gustafsson/Jamie Malik (RICE) def. Christian Carrillo/Joao Riquelme (UTSA) 6-1
3. Jake Hansen/Emanuel Llamas (RICE) vs. Eric Buchalter/Takeru Watanabe (UTSA) 5-4, unfinished
Singles
1. Jamie Malik (RICE) vs. Diogo Casa (UTSA) 7-6 (7-2), 3-4, unfinished
2. Tommy Bennett (RICE) def. Eric Buchalter (UTSA) 6-0, 6-2
3. Jake Hansen (RICE) vs. Joao Riquelme (UTSA) 6-3, 4-3, unfinished
4. David Warren (RICE) def. Christian Carrillo (UTSA) 6-4, 6-3
5. Emanuel Llamas (RICE) def. Jake Rother (UTSA) 6-1, 6-4
6. Henrik Munch (RICE) vs. Takeru Watanabe (UTSA) 6-4, 3-3, unfinished
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (2,5,4)
