Men’s Basketball Defeated By Lamar

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men’s basketball team was defeated, 84-52, by the Lamar Cardinals in a Southland Conference (SLC) game Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.

Fifth-year guard K.T. Raimey led UTRGV (5-4, 1-1 SLC) with 10 points, going 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Redshirt junior guard Howie Fleming Jr. and junior guard Trey Miller scored eight points each. Fleming also had a team-high eight rebounds.

Alexis Marmolejos led Lamar (4-5, 1-1 SLC) with a game-high 18 points. Ja’Sean Jackson added 15 points while Adam Hamilton and Andrew Holifield scored 12 each. Holifield had a team-high seven rebounds.

Lamar dominated the first half to hold a 46-23 lead after the opening 20 minutes. The Cardinals held UTRGV to 30% shooting from the field and the Vaqueros made just one three-pointer in the half. Lamar leaned on its defense to force 13 turnovers and spark the offensive opportunities. The Cardinals shot 56% in the opening half.

UTRGV came out of the locker room shooting efficiently, but so did the Cardinals. Redshirt sophomore forward Marshal Destremau scored the first five points of the half for the Vaqueros, while Miller and Fleming continued to push the offense. Senior guard Cliff Davis and sophomore forward Tommy Gankhuyag also knocked down threes early in the second half, but Lamar’s defense slowed down the once hot UTRGV offense, keeping the Vaqueros off the board for over four minutes before Raimey hit a pair of free throws.

Lamar improved its impressive shooting effort in the second half, making 60.7% of its shots from the field. The Cardinals led by as many as 36 points before freshman guard Jaylen Washington made a three-pointer to end a nine-minute drought from the field. Washington later grabbed a steal that led to a dunk by junior center Mustafo Vanjov. 

The Vaqueros will be back in action Dec. 14 at 4:30 p.m. against Northern New Mexico in a non-conference game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Tickets can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com. A clear bag policy is in place for all fans at UTRGV facilities.