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EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's basketball team is off to its best start in four years after beating Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) 70-57 on Wednesday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
UTRGV is 3-1, a feat the team last accomplished to start the 2014-15 season.
 
Junior Lesley Varner II led UTRGV by posting his second-career double-double and first of the season, scoring 15 points with 10 rebounds, two assists, a career-high three blocks, and two steals. Sophomore Greg Bowie II scored 14 points with four rebounds. Senior Terry Winn III scored 12 points with eight rebounds. Junior Jordan Jackson scored nine points with five rebounds and a career-high three blocks.
 
Greg Andrus led PVAMU (1-2) with 18 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Taishaun Johnson finished with 10 points.
 
PVAMU had the early lead, going up 15-10. Then, at the 11:25 mark of the first half, an emphatic dunk by Jackson sparked a 12-2 run to put UTRGV up 22-17.
 
PVAMU got as close as one at 22-21 with six minutes left in the first. Winn responded with a layup, and after a Leon Sneed free throw, Bowiesunk two free throws and Winn made a jumper to push UTRGV's lead to 28-22.
 
A Gary Blackston layup brought PVAMU within four in the final two minutes, but Varner scored four of UTRGV's final six points to extend the lead to 38-28 at halftime.
 
PVAMU got as close as six in the opening minutes of the second half before a 12-2 run, capped by a layup from graduate student Tyson Smith, put UTRGV up 53-38.
 
UTRGV remained ahead by double-figures until the final minutes, when an 8-0 run allowed PVAMU to pull within 62-53, but a Bowie layup and a free throw by sophomore Javon Levi restored the double-digit lead for good.

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