CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's basketball team opened the season with a 86-59 loss to the University of Miami Hurricanes, who are receiving votes in both Top 25 polls, on Friday at the BankUnited Center.
 
Senior Shaquille Hines led the Vaqueros (0-1) with a game-high tying 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including a career-high tying 3-of-4 shooting from behind the arc, and six rebounds. Sophomore Dan Kimasa had 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting with five rebounds. Freshman Antonio Green scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting with four rebounds.
 
Sheldon McClellan led five Hurricanes (1-0) in double-figures scoring with 18 points. Ivan Cruz Uceda had 16 points while hitting four three-pointers. Davon Reed scored 14 points. James Palmer and Ja'Quan Newton each had 11 points. Tonye Jekiri grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.
 
Hines hit a layup and graduate student J.J. Thompson had an early three as the Vaqueros jumped out to a 5-2 lead. The Canes scored the next seven points to go up 9-5 on a McClellan dunk, but a pair of Kimasa jumpers and a Hines three allowed the Vaqueros to take the lead back at 12-9 five minutes into the game.
 
The Vaqueros trailed by three with eight and a half minutes remaining in the first half when graduate student Dakota Slaughter knocked down a three to tie the game at 15, but the Canes scored the next seven points to take the lead for good.
 
The Vaqueros went down 48-29 on a McClellan three early in the second half. The Vaqueros responded with a 12-3 run, capped by a Hines three, to pull within 51-41 with 11:15 remaining, but that's as close as they got.
 
The Vaqueros are back in actin on Monday at 6 p.m. at North Florida in a game that can be seen on ESPN3.

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