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EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's basketball team had six players reach double-figures in scoring to win its third-straight game, 95-81 over Lamar on Friday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
Sophomore Antonio Green led UTRGV (5-8) with 16 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for his second double-double. Green now has an NCAA-leading 56 three-pointers this season. Freshman Lesley Varner Jr. scored a career-high 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting with a career-high seven rebounds and a career-high three steals. Freshman Xavier McDaniel Jr. also scored 15 points, doing so on 6-of-8 shooting, including a career-high tying 3-of-4 from behind the arc, with six rebounds and his second-straight two block game. Junior Nick Dixon scored 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting with a career-high eight assists and a career-high tying four steals. Sophomore Lew Stallworth scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting with three assists. Junior Mike Hoffman scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Junior McAllen-native Moe McDonald finished with a season-high nine points on 3-of-4 shooting.
 
As a team, UTRGV shot a season-high .587 (37-for-63) from the field, including .429 (9-for-21) from behind the arc.
 
Zjori Bosha led Lamar (5-5) with 21 points and three steals. Colton Weisbrod posted a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds (seven offensive). Joey Frenchwood also scored 14 points. Dorian Chatman finished with 12 points. Nick Garth scored 11 points with five assists.
 
After trailing for most of the first half, Lamar took its largest lead at 50-47 with 15:41 remaining. UTRGV responded by hitting 10 of its next 12 shots to go on a 22-3 run over the course of five and a half minutes to go up 69-53 and push the game ouf of reach.
 
UTRGV had two 7-0 runs and an 8-0 run during that stretch, holding Lamar to 1-of-7 shooting while forcing four turnovers.
 
McDaniel started the run with a three and Varner hit two jumpers, a layup and two free throws to keep the run going. McDonald punctuated the run with a layup off a Dixon steal.
 
UTRGV led by as much as 18 twice, going up 80-62 and 82-64 on Green free throws.
 
The game was tied at 2 after three minutes when McDaniel hit a jumper and Hoffman made a jumper and a three to put UTRGV up 9-2.
 
Lamar hit its next three shots to go on an 8-2 run and pull within 11-10, but UTRGV pushed back, going up 18-13 on a McDonald three.
 
Lamar scored the next six points, taking its first lead on a Weisbrod three-point play that made it 19-18 at the 9:04 mark.
 
Five minutes later, with the game tied at 24, McDaniel hit a pair of threes to power a 9-1 run that put UTRGV up 33-25.
 
Bosha answered with seven points during a 13-4 run to put Lamar up 38-37, but Stallworth hit a free throw to tie the game at 38 going into halftime.
 
UTRGV is back in action on Saturday at 7 p.m. when it visits Houston.

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