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RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's basketball team fell to the two-time defending Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Champion New Mexico State University Aggies 67-62 in front of a sellout crowd of 2,618 on Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
Graduate student Jordan Jackson led the Vaqueros (6-13, 2-4 WAC) with 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Senior Lesley Varner II scored 13 points with five rebounds.
 
Ivan Aurrecoechea led the Aggies (15-6, 6-0 WAC) with 19 points. Johnny McCants scored 12 points with seven rebounds.
 
Jackson opened the game with a steal that led to a dunk followed by a jumper and a layup as the Vaqueros took an 8-2 lead.
 
The Vaqueros still led by six at 12-6 on a jumper by freshman Quinton Johnson II, but the Aggies scored the next nine points to take a 15-12 lead.
 
The Aggies pushed their lead to 34-23 before three-pointers by Jackson and junior Chris Freeman brought the Vaqueros to within 34-29.
 
The Vaqueros and Aggies traded baskets over the first seven minutes of the second half before a layup and a jumper by Varner helped the Vaqueros pull within 46-42.
 
The Aggies followed with a 14-6 run to take their largest lead at 60-48. The Aggies still led by 12 at 62-50 when a Freeman three sparked a 12-3 run to bring the Vaqueros within 65-62, but that's as close as they got.
 
UTRGV hosts Grand Canyon on Thursday at 7 p.m. during Greek Night in a game that will be carried on ESPN+. Current UTRGV students get free general admission with a valid UTRGV student ID. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at UTRGVTickets.com. Fans purchasing their tickets online prior to game day can save up to $2 per ticket. The party starts at Vaquero Village at 5:30.

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