EDINBURG — The UTRGV men’s and women’s basketball teams are set to take over South Padre Island for the next three days as the South Padre Island Convention Center hosts five games today through Tuesday.
The men’s basketball team (7-4) tips off the action with the second annual UTRGV South Padre Island Battle on the Beach against Houston Christian (3-8) at 6 p.m. today.
The women’s basketball team (5-4) makes its return to the Island on Monday and Tuesday with the third annual UTRGV South Padre Island Classic. The round-robin tournament features UTRGV, Boise State (4-7), Bowling Green (8-1) and Texas A&M-Commerce (2-7) playing four games over the two days. The Vaqueros will face Boise State at 6 p.m. Monday and Bowling Green at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Texas A&M-Commerce takes on Bowling Green on Monday and Boise State on Tuesday, both with 3 p.m. start times.
Tickets to catch the UTRGV men’s and women’s basketball teams in action at the South Padre Island Convention Center can be purchased at UTRGVtickets.com. The games also will be streamed online on ESPN+, ESPN’s streaming service.
UTRGV SOUTH PADRE ISLAND BATTLE ON THE BEACH
The UTRGV men’s basketball team returns to SPI for a second consecutive season during the second annual UTRGV Battle on the Beach today.
Games at South Padre Island have become a part of UTRGV’s efforts to “Rally the Valley,” giving fans from Cameron County and the Lower Valley a chance to watch the Vaqueros in their area.
“We try to play a game here every year because we want to take our product to Cameron County,” UTRGV head coach Matt Figger said. “We’re their school, too. They have campuses down there, and we love to have them. That is specifically why we do this, for them to be there. We love to have Cameron County UTRGV fans in the stands.”
Today’s contest gives Lower Valley UTRGV fans a glimpse at one of the nation’s top scoring offenses, with the Vaqueros ranking 21st in the nation in points per game at 82.8. They also rank sixth in field goal percentage, shooting 51% from the field.
UTRGV’s Justin Johnson has spearheaded the Vaqueros’ offensive barrage, averaging a team-leading 20.4 points per game this season while shooting 50.3% from the field.
He’ll look to have a similar performance as he did during last year’s game at SPI, which featured the senior forward netting a then career-high 35 points during an 89-87 loss.
They’ll look to come home with the victory this time around, hoping to extend their winning streak to three before heading into Western Athletic Conference play after the holiday break.
“It is always good playing at the Island,” Johnson said. “It is going to be fun. We’re playing a team that we beat that is going to be trying to come at us hard. We got to clean up a few things and practice really well the next few days. … Going home for Christmas with a win is all that needs to be said for (today). We got to win (today) so we have a good taste in our mouths.”
UTRGV SOUTH PADRE ISLAND CLASSIC
The Vaqueros make their third visit to the Island for the UTRGV South Padre Island Classic, and they’re bringing three teams along with them.
Boise State is a solid team out of the Mountain West Conference and Bowling Green, which has only one loss this season, is ranked 40th in the nation according to the NCAA’s Women’s Basketball Net Rankings.
Iyana Dorsey leads the Vaqueros in scoring with 16.1 points per game, while Deborah Ogayemi ranks second on the team at 9.3 points.
UTRGV head coach Lane Lord said a good showing by the Vaqueros on South Padre Island can boost their stock in the Rating Percentage Index (RPI).
“Defensively, we’re just so much better than our offense right now. We’ve won (three out of four), and a couple of those were on the road,” Lord said. “We feel good about where our team is right now. We got a long way to grow, but I really like our team. They’re good kids, they work hard, they got great effort, so I’m excited about Padre to show the Lower Valley what we can do and how good this team can really compete.”
For players, the trip to South Padre Island tied with the Christmas break provides opportunities for their families to make the trip to the Rio Grande Valley to see them in action, and they get to do it on the beach.
“I think it’s super cool. It gives our fans that are an hour and a half away an opportunity to watch one of our games, and who doesn’t want to play at a beach? That’s just the amazing perk of UTRGV is we have Padre an hour and a half away,” UTRGV junior guard Halie Jones said. “This is definitely a tournament a lot of our families come to because who experiences the beach in December, so I’m really excited.”
