PHOENIX, Ariz. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's basketball team opened up Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play with an 83-63 loss to the Grand Canyon University Antelopes on Thursday at GCU Arena.
 
Graduate student Dakota Slaughter led the Vaqueros (4-12, 0-1 WAC) with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-7 shooting from behind the arc. Senior Shaquille Hines scored 14 points with seven rebounds and one block. Sophomore Dan Kimasa also scored 14 points while senior Everett Osborne scored 10 points with a career-high tying three steals.
 
Josh Braun led the Antelopes (14-2, 1-0 WAC) with 20 points while hitting six three-pointers. Grandy Glaze scored 17 points with 12 rebounds. Dominic Magee scored 14 points. DeWayne Russell dished out 11 assists while committing one turnover.
 
The Vaqueros led early in the game, going up 2-0, 4-2 and 6-5 on Kimasa baskets. Then, with the Vaqueros down 8-6, Slaughter drained a three to make it 9-8. The 'Lopes responded with an 11-0 run, capped by a pair of Braun threes, to make it a 10-point game before Osborne made two free throws and a three to bring the Vaqueros within 19-14. The 'Lopes responded with a 15-3 run to take a 34-17 lead on a Braun three-pointer.
 
The Vaqueros trailed 47-28 early in the second half when Hines hit a pair of layups and Osborne made a three to bring the Vaqueros within 12.
 
The Vaqueros kept the deficit there for the first nine minutes of the half, pulling within 61-48 on a Slaughter three, but the 'Lopes extended their lead to as much as 23 at 78-55 on a Glaze layup with 4:31 left to push the game out of reach.
 
The Vaqueros wrap up the road trip on Saturday at 8 p.m. when they visit Utah Valley.

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