Bearden (16 points, 11 assists, no turnovers) and his teammates rallied around assistant Marc Hsu, who filled in for Stansbury. The Hilltoppers overcame a late 13-point hole and outlasted the Owls in double-OT for a seven-point win.
WKU (14-10 overall, 7-4 Conference USA) has now won six of its last seven games and sits fourth in the league standings. The Toppers had to overcome adversity Thursday to add another win to the ledger.
After taking an early 19-10 lead, WKU watched Rice (9-15, 4-7) come back and get within 44-42 at halftime. The Owls seized control in the second half and built a lead all the way to 70-57 with 7:39 to play.