PHOENIX, Ariz. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's basketball team fell to Grand Canyon University (GCU) 76-57 on Thursday at GCU Arena.
 
Junior Nick Dixon led UTRGV (10-16, 2-7 WAC) with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Sophomore Antonio Green scored 10 points while hitting one three-pointer to raise his NCAA-leading total to 101.
 
Keonte Vernon led GCU (16-9, 5-3 WAC) with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Joshua Braun scored 17 points. DeWayne Russell finished with 14 points and eight assists. Kenzo Nudo scored 10 points.
 
GCU scored the first five points of the game en route to an 8-4 lead. Junior Mike Hoffman answered with a three and then junior Gage Loy made a layup to give UTRGV a 9-8 lead. Then, after a Russell jumper, sophomore Walter Jones made a layup to again put UTRGV on top at 11-10 with 11:27 remaining in the first half.
 
GCU responded with an 11-0 run to go up 26-14 on a Vernon dunk, but Dixon bookended a 10-2 run with layups to bring UTRGV within 28-24.
 
UTRGV was still within four at 30-26 after a Green jumper with 4:05 to go, and it was a five-point game at 33-28 after a Jones jumper at the 2:27 mark, but GCU closed the half on a 13-2 run to push its lead into double-figures for the rest of the game.
 
UTRGV is back in action on Saturday at 9 p.m. when it visits CSU Bakersfield.

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