CHICAGO, Ill. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's basketball team opened up Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play with an 83-64 victory over Chicago State University (CSU) on Thursday at Jones Convocation Center.
 
UTRGV (9-9, 1-0 WAC) has now won seven of its last eight games and the last four in a row.
 
Junior Nick Dixon led UTRGV with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting, eight rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Antonio Green scored 13 points with six rebounds. He hit one three-pointer to increase his NCAA-leading total to 76. Junior Mike Hoffman posted his first-career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Freshman Lesley Varner Jr. made a career-high three three-pointers en route to 12 points.
 
Trayvon Palmer led CSU (4-13, 0-1 WAC) with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Fred Sims Jr. scored 12 points with nine rebounds. Clemmye Owens V finished with 11 points.
 
CSU led 8-4 in the opening minutes, but UTRGV scored seven of the next 10 points to tie the game at 11.
 
CSU pushed its lead out to four again at 20-16 midway through the half, but Varner hit a jumper and a three to spark an 18-5 run to put UTRGV up 34-25 with 3:49 remaining.
 
CSU pulled to within 36-30 two minutes later before Hoffman made a jumper and Varner hit another three to put UTRGV up 42-30.
 
Early in the second half, with UTRGV's lead cut to eight, Green made a layup and a three to spark a 14-5 run to put UTRGV up 58-41.
 
CSU climbed back to within eight at 65-57 with seven minutes left, but UTRGV hit seven of its final 11 shots while holding CSU 1-for-8 to pull away for the win.
 
UTRGV wraps up the road trip on Saturday at 7 p.m. at UMKC.

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