SAN ANTONIO – A 20-3 run in the second half pushed UTRGV past UTSA men's basketball, 68-50 on Friday night at the Convocation Center.
UTSA (6-5) held a 32-27 lead after scoring the first six points of the second half before UTRGV (5-7) rallied with a 20-3 run, including scoring 14 straight points, to post the win over the Roadrunners. The run grew to 33-11 in the second half as the Vaqueros were able to rally past UTSA.
UTSA was led by senior forward Cedrick Alley Jr. and junior center Jacob Germany. Alley, a native of Houston, had 15 points and seven rebounds.
Germany, a native of Kingston, Okla., finished with 16 points and nine rebounds, going 6 of 6 from the line.
Dhieu Deing was held to seven points and eight rebounds.
The Roadrunners shot 25 percent, making just 18 baskets. UTSA had nine assists and UTRGV won the battle of the boards, 49-42.
UTSA will return to action on Tuesday, traveling to face Illinois State at 3 p.m. live on Ticket 760 AM and ESPN+/3.
The Vaqueros scored eight of the first 10 points to open the game, with UTSA getting on the board following a pair of baskets from UTRGV with a bucket from Deing.
Deing's runner cut the lead to 8-4 but UTRGV scored the next five for a 13-4 lead. Alley snapped the streak with two at the line and after a UTRGV triple, Germany got on the board to narrow the lead to 16-8.
The Vaqueros took the lead to 21-8 before UTSA got a second basket from Germany and following an Alley steal, Erik Czumbel finished in transition. Alley kept the run going with a transition finish to narrow the lead to 21-14 at the under-eight minute media timeout.
The run continued after Christian Tucker sank a corner triple to cut the lead to four. UTSA ripped off an 18-6 run to close the half, with Germany getting four at the line, Deing hitting one and Germany finishing a post move to cut the lead to 27-26 at the break. UTSA shot 26 percent in the period, with UTRGV shooting 31 percent. Germany had 12 points and six boards in the first half, while Ricky "Doc" Nelson had nine for UTRGV.
UTSA scored the first six points of the second half, getting a basket on a Czumbel find on an out-of-bounds play, a pair at the line from Germany and an Alley transition bucket to take a 32-27 lead. After Alley took the lead to 34-28 with a midrange jumper, UTRGV scored the next six points to even the game at 34.
The Vaqueros rallied after an Alley triple to score 14 straight, part of a 20-3 run over eight minutes, including a pair of 3-pointers that saw UTRGV bank in one to take the lead to 48-37.
Germany stopped the run with a basket to cut the lead to 48-39 but seconds later a run-out erased the UTSA basket and then a transition basket took the lead to 59-39 with 5:56 left.
The lead grew to 57-39 with five minutes left, an insurmountable margin for the Roadrunners.
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