EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's basketball dropped their season opener 111-106 to Nicholls State University on Friday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. 
 
UTRGV (0-1) had five players in double-figure scoring as they were led by sophomore Xavier McDaniel Jr., who posted a double-double with 27 points and 13 rebounds while adding three assists and two steals. Senior Nick Dixon posted 17 points with seven rebounds while freshman Jordan Jackson chipped in with 14 points. Sophomore Lesley Varner Jr. scored 13 points and senior Moe McDonald added 11 points of his own.
 
Nicholls State (1-0) had four players in double-figures as they were led by Lafayette Rutledge, who scored a game-high 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting from three-points range. Roddy Peters added 19 points, Jahvaughn Powell chipped in with 18 points and Tevon Saddler scored 19. 
 
UTRGV had the lead in the first couple of minutes of the game as a three-pointer by McDaniel gave them the 6-2 lead. Later in the first half, Nicholls State took their first lead on a Zaquavian Smith jumper that made it 15-14 but UTRGV answered with an 8-0 run that gave the 22-15 lead that was capped by dunk by Jackson. UTRGV got their lead up to 37-27 after a layup by McDaniel.
 
Nicholls State took the 42-41 lead with 3:58 to go in the half after a couple of free throws by Saddler but UTRGV quickly regained the lead after a three-pointer by freshman Greg Bowie as they would take a 52-51 lead into half time. 
 
In the second half, a three-pointer by McDaniel made it 60-53 in favor of UTRGV and then another three-pointer by McDaniel made it 63-57 with 17:01 left to play. Nicholls State got within 70-68 after a three-pointer by Powell but UTRGV pushed their lead back up to 79-70 later in the game after a layup by Bowie. 
 
McDaniel hit a three-pointer that made it 96-84 with 7:42 left to play Nicholls State chipped away in the final seven minutes to close out the win. 
UTRGV will be back in action on Monday when they host Bethune-Cookman at the UTRGV Fieldhouse at 7 p.m.

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