Timothy David / THE RIDER
The men’s basketball scene at UTRGV is on a promising path as the Vaqueros opened with a 81-51 victory against Texas A&M Kingsville on Nov. 2 at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on the Edinburg campus.
Senior guard B.B Knight and junior guard Caden Bell led the Vaqueros with 14 points each, from the first half fueled the performance for the rest of the game
Bell said the team’s confidence came from trusting the work players put in during the offseason and seeing that preparation translate into their first game.
“The way that we play with confidence, you know, trusting the work we put in over the summer … and seeing that translate through the first game, and I want to see it translate through the whole season,” Bell said.
Knight said he was pleased with the team’s chemistry and ability to move the ball in transition.
“I’m just happy how we play as a team, teammates found me and we were able to get out of transition, play fast, push the ball,” Knight said.
Timothy David / THE RIDER
The Vaqueros established an early lead after senior guard Devon Pryor scored on the opening possession and completed a three-point play.
Following an early basket by the Javelinas, UTRGV went on a 17-0 run fueled by Knight, who scored a layup and two 3-pointers. The Vaqueros held Texas A&M Kingsville scoreless for more than six minutes, building a 20-2 lead through defensive pressure and rebounding.
The Javelinas responded with increased defensive pressure late in the first half, holding UTRGV scoreless for a stretch of four minutes and cutting the deficit to 11 points with consecutive 3-pointers.
The Vaqueros entered halftime with a 42-19 lead. UTRGV also received 16 points from its bench during the first half and shot 7-for-12 from 3-point range.
UTRGV continued its momentum after halftime, with sophomore forward Bobby Crawford Jr. opening the second half with a dunk and adding six quick points following a turnover.
Pryor also connected with Posey on an alley-oop dunk through contact, extending the Vaquero’s lead to 50-21.
The team continued applying full-court pressure, forcing turnovers and creating scoring opportunities. UTRGV used a 14-4 run to extend its advantage during the second half.
Senior forward Terrel Wright contributed defensively as the Vaqueros maintained control. Although the Javelinas improved their shooting and connected on four 3-pointers in the second half, UTRGV continued to capitalize on turnovers and limit their scoring opportunities.
The Vaqueros will return to the UTRGV Fieldhouse on Nov. 10 to face Texas State University.
About The Author
