Texas Border Business
FLAGSTAFF, Arizona – Two days after dropping a high-scoring two-point affair to the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men’s basketball team flipped the script with an 82-80 victory over the Lumberjacks on Monday at Rolle Activity Center.
Graduate student Xavier Johnson led the Vaqueros (3-2) with a season-high 20 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 shooting from behind the arc. Junior Ricky “Doc” Nelson scored 15 points with four rebounds. Graduate student Marek Nelson scored 13 points. Junior Justin Johnson scored 11 points with five rebounds and four assists. Freshman Donte Houston Jr. and graduate student Mike Adewunmi each scored eight points with three rebounds. Freshman RayQuan Taylor finished with seven points and eight rebounds.
The Vaqueros went a season-best 9-for-15 (60%) from behind the arc.
Jalen Cone led the Lumberjacks (3-3) with 29 points. Nik Mains scored 17 points with five rebounds. Keith Haymon scored 15 points with four rebounds.
The Lumberjacks led 79-78 with 1:16 remaining. A few seconds later, Doc Nelson drove the lane for a layup to give the Vaqueros the lead. A Carson Towt free throw tied the game with 34 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Justin Johnson drove to the basket and missed a layup, but Houston grabbed the rebound and put the ball in the net to give the Vaqueros the lead with 3.8 seconds remaining. Haymon missed a three as time expired to end the game.
The Lumberjacks led early in the game, going up 16-11 five minutes into the game and still leading 26-24 with 8:35 remaining in the first.
That’s when Marek Nelson made a three and Adewunmi knocked down a layup to give the Vaqueros the lead.
Then, with the score tied at 31, Taylor sunk a layup and Marek Nelson came up with a steal that led to a fastbreak dunk to spark a 14-5 run that put the Vaqueros up 45-36. The Vaqueros scored the final five points of the half, going up 52-40 on a runner by Doc Nelson.
The Lumberjacks scored the first six points of the second half as part of a 9-2 run. Then, after layups by Adewunmi and Justin Johnson put the Vaqueros up 58-49, the Lumberjacks went on a 10-1 run to tie the game at 59.
Xavier Johnson responded with a pair of free throws and a driving layup to restore the Vaqueros’ lead at 63-59.
The Lumberjacks regained the lead at 66-65 before Doc Nelson hit a pair of free throws and Marek Nelson sunk a three to put the Vaqueros up 70-66.
The Vaqueros still led by four when a Houston layup made the score 78-74, but the Lumberjacks scored the next five points to take their last lead at 79-78.
UTRGV faces Cal State Fullerton at the Rolle Activity Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in game that will be broadcast on ESPN+.
