NEW ORLEANS – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's basketball team defeated the University of New Orleans (UNO) Privateers 95-76 to extend their win streak to seven-straight on Saturday at Lakefront Arena tying the longest win streak for the program since the 2007-08 season.
The Vaqueros (13-11, 9-6 SLC) had four in double-figure scoring with junior
Filip Brankovic leading the way with 24 points, on 8-of-13 shooting, with five rebounds. Junior
Koree Cotton scored 21 points with five rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals. Graduate student
Marvin McGhee III scored 15 points behind three three-pointers and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
The Vaqueros finished with 21 assists on 29 baskets, which marks the eighth game this season with 20 or more assists.
The Privateers (10-14, 8-7 SLC) got a game-high from
Jakevion Buckley, who scored 25 points with seven rebounds and four assists.
TJ Cope and
Coleton Benson each added 11 points while
Churchill Abass added eight points.
The Vaqueros took control of the first half in the opening minutes. After a New Orleans dunk opened the scoring, Washington tied things up with an easy layup and then McGhee III knocked down a three-pointer to give UTRGV the 5-2 lead.
Cotton followed with back-to-back buckets, which included a three-pointer that made it 10-4.
The Privateers kept it close behind Buckley's first half 13 points as he knocked down a jumper and then Benson hit a three-pointer and converted from the free throw line to get them within 17-15 with 12:25 left in the half.
The Vaqueros then used the three-pointer to widen their lead as they got threes from Cotton, Gomez, a pair from sophomore
Dane Christensen, and Brankovic to make it 40-27 with 4:43 left in the half.
After a pair of UNO free throws, the Vaqueros put their foot on the gas and went on a 9-0 to push their lead to 51-31 as they took a big lead into halftime.
The Vaqueros opened the second half with a pair of three-pointers from freshman
Julien Gomez and Cotton as they finished the game with 13 three-pointers marking the 11
th game this season of making more than 10 three-pointers in a game.
After a Buckley layup made it 61-40, the Vaqueros put together a 12-3 run, in which they made a pair of three-pointers, to push their lead to 73-43 with 12:35 left to play.
The Privateers used the free throw line to slow the game down in the second half, but the Vaqueros used their high-pace offense to go on an 8-0 run to take their biggest lead of the night at 84-53 to put the game away.
The Vaqueros are back in action on Monday when they visit Nicholls at 6:30 p.m. at Stopher Gymnasium.
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