The UTRGV basketball teams enter win-or-go-home mode this week as they begin play in the 2023 Hercules Tires Western Athletic Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, today and Tuesday.
The winner of the 12-team men’s and women’s WAC tourneys earns a berth to the 2023 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tournaments later this month.
The UTRGV women’s basketball team enters the WAC tournament as the No. 10 seed and will take on New Mexico State at 8 tonight in the opening round. The UTRGV men’s team is the No. 10 seed in the men’s tourney and opens against No. 7 Tarleton at 8 p.m. Tuesday. All WAC Tournament games can be streamed online on ESPN+.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
The Vaqueros 2022-23 men’s basketball season has been filled with up and downs, finishing the year just under .500 with an overall mark of 15-16.
They enter the WAC tournament with a bit of momentum on their side, winning three of their last five, almost making it four if not for a nail-biting loss to Utah Tech at home Feb. 23.
The Vaqueros drew a first-round opponent they experienced success against during the regular season, the Tarleton Texans. UTRGV became the first team to defeat the Texans at home this season with a 68-65 win Feb. 4. They completed the season sweep of the Texans during their home finale Feb. 25, taking down Tarleton 99-95 at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg.
| University of Texas Rio Grande Valley guard Justin Johnson (1) attempts a basket against the University of Texas Arlington in a WAC game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez |
Senior forward Justin Johnson leads the Vaqueros into the postseason, averaging a team-high 20.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He’s complemented by sophomore point guard Will Johnston, the team’s second leading scorer (14.5) and team leader in assists (3.7).
Freshman Adante’ Holliman could be the X-factor the Vaqueros need Tuesday, however. The first-year guard has emerged as a playmaker for UTRGV since Feb. 1, averaging 11.1 points per game on 47.2% shooting from beyond the arc during the nine-game span.
Holliman played a key role in the Vaqueros pair of wins against Tarleton, averaging 13.5 points and 3.0 assists against the Texans this year.
A win by UTRGV would mark the team’s first WAC tournament victory since 2019 and just the second all-time. The winner between the two teams advances to the tournament’s quarterfinals to face off against No. 2 Utah Valley at 8 p.m. Thursday.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Vaqueros women’s team is riding a wave of momentum entering the 2023 WAC Tournament, something they’ve grown accustomed to with a pair of conference tournament wins a season ago.
The UTRGV women’s basketball team (12-17, 6-12) has won three of its last four games, a number that could easily be a five-game winning streak had a few bounces gone the Vaqueros’ way during tight fourth quarters down the stretch.
The Vaqueros picked up three-straight wins against Tarleton (66-58), Sam Houston (65-61) and Utah Valley (69-59) before falling against California Baptist 81-76 in overtime on the final day of the regular season last Thursday.
| University of Texas Rio Grande Valley guard Iyana Dorsey (2) takes possession of the rebound against Tarleton in a WAC game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez |
Now, the No.10-seeded Vaqueros will face the No. 7 New Mexico State Aggies (15-15, 10-8) in Round 1 of the WAC Tournament. The Aggies defeated the Vaqueros in the only matchup between the two this season 67-59 on Dec. 29, 2022 at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg.
Guard Iyana Dorsey has been one of the top scorers in the conference and leads the Vaqueros with 15.9 points per game. Her ability to go off for 30 on any night gives UTRGV an offensive weapon that’s hard to match. Post Deborah Ogayemi has been who the rock goes to when the Vaqueros need points in the paint as she’s putting up 9.4 points and 7.5 rebounds a night. They’ll be key in UTRGV’s success against an athletic New Mexico State squad.
If the Vaqueros can get past the Aggies, they’ll face No. 2 seed Southern Utah at 8 p.m. Wednesday.