EDINBURG – Down 18 with six minutes left, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's basketball team went on a 19-6 run to get close before dropping the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) home opener to CSU Bakersfield (CSUB) 75-69 on Thursday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
Senior Terry Winn III led UTRGV (9-9, 1-1 WAC) with 16 points on a career-best 10-of-11 shooting from the line and eight rebounds. Sophomore Javon Levi scored 15 points with seven assists and four steals. Sophomore Greg Bowie II scored 11 points with five rebounds. Junior Lesley Varner II finished with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.
 
Justin Edler-Davis led CSUB (11-5, 3-0 WAC) with 19 points and six rebounds.Rickey Holden scored 16 points with seven rebounds. James Suber posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.Damiyne Durham scored nine points with eight rebounds and six assists.
 
UTRGV trailed 68-50 after a pair of Durham free throws with 6:02 remaining. The next time down the court, Varner hit a three to start the comeback. Then, with the score 70-54, UTRGV scored nine-straight points, capped by a Bowie three, to pull within seven. After a Durham dunk, a Bowie three brought UTRGV within six. Following a pair of Edler-Davis free throws, Levi nailed a three with 10 seconds left to bring UTRGV within 74-69, but that's as close as UTRGV got.
 
UTRGV had the lead early, going up 8-5 on a jumper by graduate student Tyson Smith and 12-9 on a pair of Winn free throws midway through the half.
 
Holden scored 10 points as CSU Bakersfield answered with a 14-5 run to give CSU Bakersfield a 23-17 lead.
 
Then, after four Winn free throws let UTRGV pull within 24-21, CSU Bakersfield scored the final seven points of the half to go up 31-21.
 
Winn hit four free throws as UTRGV scored six of the first eight points of the second half to pull within 33-27. CSU Bakersfield outscored UTRGV 35-23 over the next 12 and a half minutes to build its 18-point lead.
 
UTRGV hosts Grand Canyon on Saturday at 7 p.m. for the WAC Spotlight Game on ESPN+. The first 200 fans in attendance will receive rally towels. UTRGV Athletics is offering federal employees and their immediate families complimentary general admission with a current federal government ID. Doors open at 6.

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