EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's basketball team closed out non-conference play with an 86-50 victory over Wayland Baptist University (WBU), the No. 20 ranked team in the NAIA, on Tuesday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
UTRGV (12-11) finishes regular season non-conference play with a winning record (9-8) for the first time since 2007-08 (18-13). This is the first time UTRGV has finished regular season non-conference play with a winning record while part of a conference since 1993-94 (6-2).
 
Senior Nick Dixon led UTRGV with 20 points, five rebounds and three assists. Freshman Greg Bowie scored 13 points while hitting a trio of three-pointers and recording three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Senior McAllen-native Moe McDonald hit two three-pointers while scoring nine points. Junior Terry Winn finished with eight points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Sophomore Lesley Varner Jr. also scored eight points.
 
Rokas Mazionis led WBU with 12 points and nine rebounds.
 
Sophomore Xavier McDaniel Jr. hit a jumper and a three to help UTRGV jump out to a 9-2 lead.
 
Then, with UTRGV's lead 22-16 midway through the half, UTRGV went on a 13-2 run, capped by a layup by junior Johnny Crnogorac, to go up 35-18.
 
WBU got as close as 35-23 late in the half, but UTRGV hit its next four baskets as part of a 28-9 run, during which Bowie scored eight points and Dixon scored seven, to push the game out of reach.
 
UTRGV resumes Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play on Saturday at 5 p.m. at reigning WAC Tournament Champion New Mexico State.

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