RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's basketball team fell 58-50 to the UT Arlington Mavericks on Thursday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.  
 
The Vaqueros (3-6) were led by graduate student Marvin McGhee III who scored 10 points while graduate student Zae Blake and junior Filip Brankovic scored nine points each. 
 
The Mavericks (7-3) had four players in double-figure scoring with Marcell McCreary leading the way with 14 points, all of which was scored in the second half. Marcus Rigsby Jr. and Raysean Seamster scored 12 points each and Cameron Jackson added 10 points. 
 
The Mavericks came out aggressive to open the game with Rigsby Jr. scoring 10 of UTA's first 14 points, but the Vaqueros got going with a couple of three-pointers from graduate student Zae Blake that got them within 14-12. 
 
After a bucket from Tyran Mason at the 10:10 mark, the Vaqueros defense didn't allow a field goal to the Mavericks for almost seven minutes. During that time, the Vaqueros got four-straight points from Cotton and then got a three-pointer from McGhee III to give them the 19-16 lead. 
 
Senior Kwo Agwa gave the Vaqueros their biggest lead of the half with a layup that made it 27-22 as UTRGV took the lead into the half. 
 
The Vaqueros used their defense to add to their lead as a steal from redshirt junior Always Wright led to an easy basket to open the second half. McGhee III recorded another steal and converted on the fastbreak layup to make it 33-24 and then another steal from the UTRGV defense led to a Cotton dunk that made it 37-27 with 16:36 left to play. 
 
The Mavericks put together a 15-3 run to regain the lead at 42-40 lead behind the efforts of Seamster and McCreary. Later, Blake knocked down his third three-pointer to get UTRGV within 49-46 with about four minutes to play but the Mavericks converted in the paint down the stretch put the game away. 
 
The Vaqueros return to Southland Conference play when they visit Lamar on Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. at the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center. 

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