RIVERSIDE, Calif. – After trailing by 16 late in the first half, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's basketball team came back to win the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) opener over California Baptist University (CBU) 81-74 on Saturday at the CBU Events Center.
 
Graduate student Tyson Smith led UTRGV (9-8, 1-0 WAC) with a career-high 21 points with two steals. Senior Terry Winn III scored a season-high 20 points and five rebounds. Sophomore Javon Levi scored 10 points with a season-high tying eight rebounds, two assists and five steals. Sophomore Greg Bowie II finished with 10 points.
 
Milan Acquaah led CBU (9-6, 1-1 WAC) with 20 points. Dejon Davis scored nine points with nine rebounds. Jordan Heading scored nine points with six rebounds and five assists. Marquise Mosley also scored nine points.
 
Winn hit three layups and a jumper as UTRGV made its first five shots and scored the game's first seven points en route to a 13-5 lead.
 
CBU responded by scoring 14 of the next 16 points as part of a 26-5 run to go up 34-18 with 4:02 remaining in the first half. UTRGV scored the next five points to pull within 10 on a Smith three-point play.
 
Early in the second half, CBU pushed its lead to 47-31, but UTRGV responded with a 17-5 run, capped by a layup by junior Ndene Gueye, to pull within 52-49 at the 10:50 mark.
 
CBU extended its lead back to eight at 67-59 with six minutes later, but a Winn layup, two baskets by junior Jordan Jackson, a Levi layup and another Winn layup gave UTRGV its first lead since it was 15-13 at 69-67.
 
Then, after Ty Rowell made a three to restore CBU's lead, Smith nailed a three of his own to put UTRGV up 72-70.
 
Smith, Levi and junior Lesley Varner II combined to make seven free throws down the stretch to put the game on ice.
 
UTRGV returns home on $3 Thursday at 7 p.m. against CSU Bakersfield at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. General admission tickets and most concession stand items will be $3 or less. The first 200 fans in attendance will receive keychains. Doors open at 6.

Support UTRGV Men's Basketball | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on YouTube