UTRGV loses their last regular season game tonight in the UTRGV Fieldhouse against California Baptist University 82-79. The Vaqueros reached an overall record of 18-15 and 9-7 in conference play.
Senior forward Terry Winn III led the Vaqueros with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Junior forward Lesley Varner II scored 18 points and finished with seven rebounds. Junior guard Jordan Jackson scored 10 points and sophomore guard Javon Levi scored 17 points, made eight assists and seven rebounds.
In the first minutes of the first half, CBU junior guard Jeremy Smith hit a couple of free throws that would become the first two points of the game. Vaqueros responded immediately with a layup made by Jackson and a jump shot by Winn III.
Levi scored four consecutive free throws, putting UTRGV 8-2 in the opening two minutes of the game. CBU tied the game, but the Vaqueros responded with a 12-5 run that led them to take the lead 20-13 midway of the first half.
When the Vaqueros had the lead 27-20, Lancers graduate guard Jordan Heading hit three consecutive 3-pointers that led CBU to momentarily overthrow the Vaqueros 29-27. The game remained tied the rest of the half. Levi made a jump shot at the halftime buzzer, giving the lead 40-35 for UTRGV.
In the second half, the Lancers responded by taking a lead of 48-46 over the Vaqueros. UTRGV made a comeback, pushing CBU 55-48 after Varner made a layup with 8:52 at the mark.
California Baptist got closer at the end of the half, but the Vaqueros maintained its lead of 66-62 after a pair of free throws were made by Winn III with less than two minutes remaining. Smith hit a couple of layups, followed by Heading who made a jumper to lead CBU 68-66 with less than 10 seconds to go.
Winn III scored two free throws with 0.4 seconds on the mark, which forced the game to go into overtime. The Vaqueros were defeated after the Lancers responded with a pair of 3-pointers that led them to reach the victory.
The Vaqueros will face California State University, Bakersfield in its first game at the Western Athletic Conference Tournament at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
