EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's basketball team fell to Texas State 77-68 on Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.  

Junior Lesley Varner II led UTRGV (7-5) with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting including 2-of-4 from behind the arc, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. Graduate student Tyson Smith scored a career-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-6 from behind the arc. Sophomore Javon Levi dished out a game-high nine assists with four points, four rebounds and three steals.

Tre'Larenz Nottingham led Texas State (10-1) with 19 points. Nijal Pearson scored 16 points. Eric Terry scored 15 points. Alex Peacock scored 10 points with five assists.
 
Junior Jordan Jackson hit a three and Varner made a layup as UTRGV scored the first five points of the game. After Texas State tied the game, Varner responded with a three to put UTRGV up 8-5.
 
UTRGV went up by as much as four three times in the first half, including at 16-12 on a Varner layup.
 
Texas State responded by making the next four baskets to take its first lead at 20-16.
 
UTRGV regained the lead at 25-24 with 6:41 remaining on a jumper by junior Ndene Gueye, his first points in his UTRGV debut.
 
Two minutes later, with the game tied at 28, Pearson and Peacock made back-to-back threes to give Texas State its largest lead of the half.
 
UTRGV pulled within 39-37 in the opening seconds of the second half on a jumper by senior Terry Winn III, but Texas State responded with an 18-4 run to go up 57-41.
 
UTRGV got as close as six, including 73-67 on a Varner three with 36 seconds left, but Jaylean Shead and Peacock combined to go 4-for-4 from the line to put the game on ice.
 
UTRGV is back in action on $2 Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Rice at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. General admission tickets and most concession items will cost $2 or less. Doors open at 6.

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