HOUSTON – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's basketball team had the lead with 3:47 remaining and was tied with 1:11 to go before falling to the University of Houston (UH), a team receiving votes in the latest top-25 polls, 58-53 on Wednesday at H&PE Arena on the campus of Texas Southern.
 
Junior Jordan Jackson led UTRGV (5-4) with a season-high tying 12 points and a career-high nine rebounds. Junior Lesley Varner II scored eight points with eight rebounds and three steals. Sophomore Greg Bowie also scored eight points.
 
Corey Davis Jr. led UH (5-0) with 23 points. Brison Gresham scored 12 points with eight rebounds.
 
UH jumped out to a 19-11 lead over the first 11 and a half minutes. That's when a basket by sophomore Javon Levi and senior Terry Winn III sparked a 12-2 run to end the half with UTRGV up 23-21.
 
After UH opened the second half with a pair of baskets, Levi and Jackson made buckets of their own to help UTRGV go up 29-25.
 
Davis responded with a pair of three-pointers to give UH the lead before a Varner three put UTRGV up 32-31.
 
The game remained a back-and-forth affair from there, with neither team going up by more than one possession until the final minute.
 
UTRGV took its last lead with 3:47 remaining on a Jackson layup that made the score 49-48.
 
The score was then tied at 50 after a Levi free throw with 1:11 left before UH scored eight of the final 11 points.
 
UTRGV is back in action on Saturday at 2 p.m. at UT Arlington.

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