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RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's basketball team blew out the Chicago State University Cougars 87-63 on Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
Senior Lesley Varner II led the Vaqueros (6-10, 2-1 WAC) with 21 points and eight rebounds. Graduate student Jordan Jackson scored 18 points with a season-high tying four steals. Junior Chris Freeman hit three three-pointers en route to nine points. Junior Javon Levi dished out 10 assists with six points and two steals.
 
The Vaqueros forced 23 turnovers, scoring 22 points off those turnovers.
 
Xavier Johnson led the Cougars (4-15, 0-4 WAC) with 12 points and five assists. Andrew Lewis also had 12 points.
 
The game was tied at four after four minutes. That's when a Jackson three sparked a 17-4 run, capped by back-to-back baskets by junior Rob McClain Jr.to put the Vaqueros up 21-8.
 
Two baskets later, Varner converted a three-point play and added a jumper to give the Vaqueros a 26-12 lead.
 
The Vaqueros led by as much as 17 in the first half, going up 35-18 on a Levi layup and 43-26 on a pair of free throws by sophomore Sean Rhea.
 
The Vaqueros led 45-30 early in the second half when a Rhea dunk and a Jackson jumper kicked off a 17-3 run to put the Vaqueros up 62-33.
 
The Vaqueros extended their lead to 69-38 on a Jackson three at the 12:02 mark and cruised to victory from there.
 
Freshman Weslaco alum Isaiah Garcia played the final minute and a half, knocking down a three-pointer on his lone shot.
 
UTRGV is back in action on Thursday at 9 p.m. at Seattle U.

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