ARLINGTON – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's basketball team beat UT Arlington (UTA) for the first time since Nov. 27, 2006, winning 76-65 on Saturday at the College Park Center.
 
The win snapped a seven-game skid for UTRGV (6-4) against UTA (3-5). This was also UTRGV's first win in Arlington since Jan. 11, 1989, also snapping a seven-game streak.
 
UTRGV is off to a 6-4 start for the first time since 2007-08, when the team also started 6-4.
 
Junior Lesley Varner II led UTRGV with a career-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting with three steals. Sophomore Javon Levi scored 17 points with four assists and two steals.
 
Andres Ibarguen led UTA with 23 points and 13 rebounds.
 
Varner hit the first two baskets of the game as UTRGV jumped out to an 8-3 lead.
 
UTA came back to take a 16-15 lead on an Ibarguen three-point play midway through the first half, but graduate student Tyson Smith responded with a three to put UTRGV back on top.
 
Then, with the score tied at 20, two Smith free throws, one Levi free throw and a Varner layup gave UTRGV a 25-20 lead.
 
UTRGV led by as much as six in the first half at 31-25 on a three by sophomore Greg Bowie II at the 2:52 mark.
 
UTRGV led by three at the start of the second half when Varner jumpers bookended a 9-0 run to put UTRGV up 41-29.
 
UTA responded with a 12-3 run to pull within 44-41.
 
UTRGV still led 54-52 when Ibarguen and Pedro Castro each hit a pair of free throws to give UTA the lead.
 
Smith answered with a layup to tie the game and then Varner nailed a three to give UTRGV the lead. Bowie followed with a layup and then Varner sunk three free throws to put UTRGV up 64-56 with 2:15 remaining, a lead that UTRGV did not relinquish.
 
UTRGV returns home on Wednesday at 7 p.m. to face North Dakota as part of the WAC/Summit League Challenge at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. UTRGV Athletics would like to congratulate the graduating class of the fall of 2018 by providing complimentary graduation photos in front of a UTRGV backdrop. Graduates are encouraged to bring their cap and gown for photos between 5:30 and 7 p.m. Doors open at 6.

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