BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's basketball team knocked off defending Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Champion CSU Bakersfield (CSUB) 87-74 on Thursday at the Icardo Center.
 
Winners of four in a row, UTRGV (10-8, 2-0 WAC) is off to its best start since 2006-07 (10-8).
 
Senior Nick Dixon led UTRGV with 21 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-5 from behind the arc, plus 9-of-9 from the line. Senior McAllen-native Moe McDonald scored a season-high tying 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc, plus 4-of-4 from the line, with four rebounds and three steals. Junior Terry Winn scored a season-high 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting with four rebounds. Sophomore Xavier McDaniel Jr. scored 12 points with four rebounds.
 
UTRGV shot a season-high .528 (28-for-53) from the field, marking the team's highest shooting percentage since Dec. 16, 2016 at Lamar (.587), and UTRGV's highest shooting percentage against a WAC opponent since Jan. 24, 2015 against Grand Canyon (.552).
 
Rickey Holden led CSUB (7-10, 0-2 WAC) with 18 points. Jarkel Joiner scored 12 points.
 
Neither team led by more than two possessions during the first 27 minutes of the game, with UTRGV taking the largest leads during that span at 37-31 on a Dixon three near the end of the first half and 40-34 on a three by junior Lew Stallworth early in the second.
 
CSUB took a 46-45 lead on a Justin McCall three with 15:28 remaining. UTRGV responded with a 10-1 run, capped by a McDonald jumper, to take the first three-possession lead at 55-47.
 
UTRGV's lead was cut to six at 61-55 with 9:13 left on a Justin Davis layup before a Winn jumper sparked an 11-0 run to put UTRGV up 72-55.
 
UTRGV took its largest at 80-60 on a McDonald layup with 4:03 remaining.
 
UTRGV looks to get off to its best start since 2001-02 (15-4) on Saturday at 8 p.m. at Grand Canyon.

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