EDINBURG — Not much went right for UTRGV in its first-ever Western Athletic Conference clash against its new in-state rival Tarleton State.
The Vaqueros faced consistent struggles on the offensive end of the floor and in the interior as the Texans rolled to a 65-47 blowout victory Friday night at Bert Ogden Arena.
The loss marks UTRGV’s fourth consecutive loss and its fifth in the last six games, as well as its lowest-scoring game of the season and its largest defeat since a 36-point loss on the road to the Texas Longhorns in the season opener.
The Vaqueros honored their fallen head coach, Lew Hill, who died unexpectedly nearly a month ago in the midst of the program’s best start to a season in recent memory.
Hill’s family was recognized and presented with a plaque, customized jersey and commemorative basketball during the game while a seat was saved for Hill on the Vaqueros’ bench, draped with his blazer along with his photo.
There were few memorable moments for the Vaqueros on the court Friday night, though, as the team trailed for more than 32 minutes of game time and never possessed more than a three-point lead.
After a back-and-forth beginning to a defensive game, UTRGV became plagued with shooting woes and a lack of consistency on the offensive end of the floor.
The Vaqueros converted on 10 of 29 field-goal attempts before halftime, which allowed Tarleton State to pull away and maintain a comfortable lead during most of the first half.
UTRGV managed to keep it close, thanks to its 7-of-18 shooting clip from the perimeter and trailed 36-28 heading to the half.
The Vaqueros, however, were never able to retake the lead from that point onward.
Soon, UTRGV’s shooting woes extended to the 3-point arc and the team mustered a 7.7% showing from deep during the second half while making only 4 of 21 total field-goal attempts.
The team transitioned into a full-court press defensively and made a conscious effort to attack the basket to try to claw its way back into the game.
While the defensive pressure did slow down the Texans’ offense, UTRGV was unable to convert efficiently from the free-throw line or make a sizable dent in the deficit, as Tarleton State led by as much as 21 late.
The Vaqueros made 11 of 16 free-throw attempts but allowed the Texans to capitalize and build a sizable advantage from the charity stripe by making 21 of 23 from the foul line.
Tarleton State also owned a commanding edge on the boards, out-rebounding UTRGV 38-29 when the Vaqueros’ small-ball approach backfired.
Dibiamaka led UTRGV in scoring with 11, while Levi added seven points to go with seven rebounds and four assists, both team highs. Three Texans scored in double figures led by Freddy Hicks, who had 21 points on 71.4% shooting.
The loss drops UTRGV to 9-8 overall and 2-4 in WAC play this season, and with a Seattle U victory Friday night, locks the Vaqueros into the sixth seed for the upcoming WAC Tournament in Las Vegas.
UTRGV returns to action for its regular-season finale in a rematch against Tarleton State at 7 toniight at UTRGV Fieldhouse.
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Twitter: @ByAndyMcCulloch
