The UTRGV men’s basketball team fell to the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 82-72 on Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in front of a sold-out homecoming crowd of 2,788, the largest to watch a UTRGV men’s basketball game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse since the addition of chair back seats in 2010 lowered listed capacity from 4,000 to 2,500.
This was UTRGV’s second sell out of the season after drawing 2,606 fans for a game against California Baptist at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on Jan. 28, 2023.
Senior Justin Johnson led the Vaqueros (12-14, 3-10 WAC) with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Junior Daylen Williams scored 15 points with nine rebounds, two steals and a career-high tying two blocks. Freshman Adante’ Holiman scored 10 points with five assists and a career-high three steals. Sophomore Derrius Ward scored nine points. Sophomore Will Johnston scored eight points with three assists and one block.
Roti Ware led the Lumberjacks (16-9, 8-4 WAC) with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Latrell Jossell scored 16 points with three assists. Jalil Beaubrun scored 10 points with eight rebounds.
The Vaqueros led early, as a layup by junior Ahren Freeman and a Williams hook shot made the score 4-3.
The Lumberjacks scored the next eight points to take the lead. The Vaqueros got as close as four four times, at 15-11 on a Johnson free throw, 17-13 on a Ward dunk, 19-15 on a Freeman layup, and 22-18 on a Johnson 3-point play.
The Lumberjacks used a 13-5 run to go up 35-23 late in the first half. The Vaqueros scored the final six points of the half, pulling within 37-31 on a Johnson layup.
The Vaqueros made the score 39-34 on a Holiman 3-point play early in the second half before the Lumberjacks hit three-straight 3-pointers as part of a 16-3 run to go up 55-37.
Williams responded with a 3-pointer and two free throws to bring the Vaqueros within 13 at the 14:47 mark. The Vaqueros pulled within 11 six minutes later on a pair of free throws by sophomore John Shanu II that made the score 67-56. The Vaqueros pulled within 11 again on a Ward 3-point play with 1:19 remaining and then Johnson hit a free throw one minute later to complete the scoring.
UTRGV visits Grand Canyon on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Fans can watch domestically on ESPN+ or internationally via WAC International.