106
Winner UTRGV UTRGV 11-11,7-6 Southland
93
UIW UIW 9-13,4-9 Southland
Winner
UTRGV UTRGV
11-11,7-6 Southland
106
Final
93
UIW UIW
9-13,4-9 Southland
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UTRGV UTRGV 44 62 106
UIW UIW 42 51 93
Final | UTRGV 106, UIW 93
Danny Elizondo
Julien Gomez (#13) dropped a career-high 20 points while shooting 4-for-5 from three point range against UIW

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men's Basketball Extends Win Streak to Five with Win at UIW

SAN ANTONIO – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's basketball team extended their win streak to five in a row by defeating the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) Cardinals 106-93 on Saturday at the McDermott Center. 
 
The five-game win streak marks the Vaqueros' (11-11, 7-6 SLC) longest win streak in conference play since the 2019-20 when they CSU Bakersfield, Kansas City, Chicago State, Utah Valley, and Seattle U in the Western Athletic Conference. The win also gives the Vaqueros five road wins this season, marking the most road wins in a season since they won eight in 2018-19.
The Vaqueros had all five starters in double-figure scoring with junior Koree Cotton leading the way with 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting with five assists. Freshman Julien Gomez scored a career-high 20 points while going 4-of-5 from three-point range. Sophomore Jaylen Washington scored a career-high 19 points with six assists. Junior Filip Brankovic scored 15 points with five rebounds and graduate student Marvin McGhee III scored 12 points while going 4-of-4 from the floor, 2-of-2 from three-point range and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. 
 
The Cardinals (9-13, 4-9 SLC) got a game-high 33 points from Jordan Pyke on 11-of-16 shooting and 8-of-10 from the free throw line. Tahj Staveskie scored 24 points with seven assists. Davion Bailey chipped in with 14 points and Harold Woods added 12 points with 12 rebounds for the double-double.
 
The first half was a back-and-forth affair that featured seven ties and eight lead changes. The Vaqueros took the early lead behind Washington and Gomez as they scored six points each with Washington knocking down a three-pointer that made it 12-6 UTRGV. 
 
The Cardinals answered with an 11-3 run that was started by a Pyke three-pointer and was capped with a Pyke dunk that gave UIW the 17-15 lead. Cotton got things rolling for UTRGV as he scored the next seven points behind a three-pointer, a couple of free throws, and a layup that made it 22-19 with 9:23 to play in the first half. 
 
Pyke, who finished with 21 points in the first half, gave the Cardinals the lead with back-to-back layups and then a Bailey layup and a couple of free throws from Woods gave them their biggest lead of the half at 33-28 but the Vaqueros got back-to-back three-pointers from McGhee III to take back the advantage. 
 
After back-to-back buckets by Bailey, the Vaqueros closed out the half on an 8-3 run to take the 44-42 lead into halftime. 
 
In the second half, the Cardinals got as close at 46-45 after some early free throws from Pyke but the Vaqueros took control after that. Gomez started a 7-0 with a three-pointer and then later made it 58-50 with a layup. 
 
After a jumper from Bailey made it 60-54 with 14:57 to play, the Vaqueros opened their lead with a 16-4 run that was capped by five straight points from Brankovic that made it 76-58 with 10:11 to play.
 
After a Staveskie jumper made it 76-60, the Vaqueros put together a 15-7 to give them their biggest lead of the night at 91-67 with 6:31 left in the game. The Cardinals didn't back off as they got a pair of three-pointers down the stretch but the Vaqueros, who finished the game shooting 62.3% from the floor, put the game out of reach. 
 
The Vaqueros return to action on Feb. 2 when they host Houston Christian at 6:30 p.m. at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. 
 
Fans can purchase tickets online at UTRGVTickets.com. Current UTRGV students receive free general admission with their student ID but will need to claim a ticket at GoUTRGV.com/StudentTickets. Fans can learn more about game day, including parking information, maps, and the clear bag policy, by visiting RallyTheValley.com.
 
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