Men’s Basketball Uses Big Finish to Beat Le Moyne

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men’s basketball team closed Monday’s game strong to earn a 97-77 victory over the Le Moyne Dolphins at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.

Graduate student guard DK Thorn had a career night to lead UTRGV (4-3, 0-0 Southland Conference) with 24 points, five rebounds and four assists. Redshirt junior guard Howie Fleming Jr. scored a season-high 18 points with three steals, and senior guard Cliff Davis added 17 points with five three-pointers. Five Vaqueros finished with double-digit points as the offense exploded late. Junior guard Trey Miller and fifth-year guard K.T. Raimey dropped 15 and 13 points, respectively.

Le Moyne (2-6, 0-0 North Eastern Conference) was led by Robby Carmody and Dwayne Koroma, who each scored 14 points. Koroma added eight rebounds and four assists.

The Vaqueros set the tone for the game early in the first half as Fleming slammed home a dunk for a quick lead. They played aggressive on defense and in the paint, driving to the basket and pulling down rebounds. The Dolphins got within one point of the UTRGV lead, then the Vaqueros responded with a 6-0 run behind two buckets from Thorn to extend the advantage to 15-8.

Davis got hot from behind the arc to ensure UTRGV kept its lead throughout the first half. He knocked down five three-pointers from a variety of locations, including NBA range, and the lead grew to 10. When the Dolphins got within two possessions, Davis drilled a clutch pair of threes late in the half. UTRGV led 41-31 heading to the locker room though the teams shot almost identically from the field, with UTRGV hitting 47% of its shots and Le Moyne shooting 46% from the field.

UTRGV came out halftime strong and extended the lead to 14 points as Raimey and Thorn made three-pointers. But Le Moyne responded with a 7-0 run and trimmed its deficit to 56-54 after a three-pointer from Carmody. Thorn took over to keep UTRGV in control despite Le Moyne hitting shots frequently. He made two strong drives to the basket, then answered a Le Moyne three-pointer with a quick-release deep ball of his own. After a Raimey steal and three-point play behind a layup with contact, Thorn converted a pair of free throws to make it 77-66.

The game was physical and increased in its intensity as the game clock ticked down. Thorn, Miller and others hit clutch shots and were solid at the charity stripe as the Dolphins got into foul trouble to secure the victory. The Vaqueros locked up defensively and were relentless on the boards to get extra opportunities on offense and slow Le Moyne down when it mattered most.

Up next for the Vaqueros is a 6:30 p.m. game Dec. 5 against Stephen F. Austin at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in the SLC opener. Tickets can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com. A clear bag policy is in place for all fans at UTRGV facilities.