Texas Border Business
OREM, Utah – In a game that was separated by no more than two points over the last four minutes, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men’s basketball team fell to the Utah Valley University Wolverines 72-70 on Saturday at the UCCU Center.
Senior Lesley Varner II led the Vaqueros (6-12, 2-3 WAC) with 23 points, five rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Sophomore Sean Rhea scored 14 points with six rebounds. Junior Javon Levi scored 12 points with nine assists, six rebounds, and one steal.
TJ Washington led the Wolverines (8-12, 2-3 WAC) with 25 points. Jamison Overton scored 16 points with eight rebounds.
The Wolverines led 60-56 with 4:08 remaining. That’s when three-pointers by freshman Quinton Johnson II and Levi helped the Vaqueros take a 62-61 lead.
The Wolverines took the lead on three free throws, but the Vaqueros tied the game at 64 on a Varner jumper, 66 on a Levi layup, 68 on a Varner jumper, and 70 on a Rhea dunk. Isaiah White responded with a layup with 1.3 seconds left to send the Wolverines to victory.
The Vaqueros jumped out to a 12-3 lead on thanks in part to a pair of Levi three-pointers. The Vaqueros pushed their lead to 10 three times on Varner jumpers, at 14-4, 16-6 and 18-8.
The Wolverines pulled to within 23-18 before a Varner three-point play extended the Vaqueros’ lead to 26-18. The Wolverines scored the next six points to make it a two-point game. Then, after Rhea hit two free throws, the Wolverines scored six-straight points to take a 30-28 lead.
A Varner jumper tied the game going into halftime and then the Vaqueros scored eight of the first 11 points of the second half to go up 38-33.
The Vaqueros still led by five at 41-37 when the Wolverines went on an 8-0 run to take the lead, but the Vaqueros responded with an 11-4 run, capped by a pair of free throws by graduate student Jordan Jackson, to go up 52-49. The Wolverines followed with an 11-4 run of their own to regain the lead.
UTRGV returns the UTRGV Fieldhouse for a three-game homestand starting Saturday at 7 p.m. against two-time defending Western Athletic Conference Champion New Mexico State. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive #RallyTheValley t-shirts as part of the “Pack the House” promotion. Additionally, buy one, get one free voucher are available while supplies last at corporate partner locations. A complete list can be found at GoUTRGV.com. Current UTRGV students get free general admission with a valid UTRGV student ID. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at UTRGVTickets.com. Fans purchasing their tickets online prior to game day can save up to $2 per ticket. The party starts at Vaquero Village at 5:30.
 Vaqueros men's basketball team fell to the Utah Valley University Wolverines 72-70 on Saturday at the UCCU Center.){kind=link}