Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men’s basketball team finished the homestand 3-1 by defeating the Mid-America Christian University Evangels 92-50 on Friday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
Freshman Quinton Johnson II led the Vaqueros (4-5) with a career-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including a trio of three-pointers. Graduate student Jordan Jackson scored 17 points with a season-high six rebounds, a career-high-tying five assists, and three steals. Freshman Connor Raines finished with 11 points. Senior Lesley Varner II scored 10 points with seven rebounds and four assists. Junior Javon Levi scored nine points with seven assists and five steals.
Ashford Golden led the Evangels with 12 points. Cedric Wright finished with 11 points.
The Evangels held the early lead, going up 4-2 and 9-7. A pair of Jackson free throws tied the game. It was the start of a 16-4 run as the Vaqueros took a 32-23 lead on a Varner four-point play.
The Evangels were within eight with 5:29 left in the first half before back-to-back Jackson jumpers sparked a 19-4 run to put the Vaqueros up 48-25 at halftime. Jackson scored 11 points during the run while Johnson capped the run with a pair of three-pointers.
The Evangels pulled within 48-27 at the start of the second half, but back-to-back jumpers by junior Anthony Bratton sparked a 13-4 run to put the Vaqueros up 61-31 and push the game out of reach.
Freshman Weslaco alum Isaiah Garcia played the final three minutes, drilling a three-pointer with 40 seconds left.
UTRGV opens up a five-game road trip on Friday at 7 p.m. at Creighton.
 Vaqueros men's basketball team finished the homestand 3-1 by defeating the Mid-America Christian University Evangels 92-50 on Friday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.){kind=link}