Bobcats And Vaqueros Face Off Tonight In Strahan Coliseum
Last season saw UTRGV win 72-61 in Edinburg, Texas.
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State men’s basketball team returns to action on Saturday in Strahan Coliseum against UT Rio Grande Valley. Tip is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
Coming into the game, the Bobcats are 0-2 on the season while the Vaqueros sport a 2-1 mark.
The game be broadcast on Kiss 103.1 FM out of Austin with Clint Shields on the call. Fans can also listen to the game through the TuenIn Radio app on mobile devices.
After his career night on Wednesday, Tyler Blount enters the weekend leading TXST in scoring (14.5), shooting percentage (55.6) and made three-pointers (5). Nijal Pearson is the only other player on the team averaging double-figures in points at 13.5 per game. He is tied for the team lead with three blocks and is second in rebounding at 6.5 per contest.
Also rejecting three shots so far is Immanuel King. The senior has 41 career blocks and is 11 shy of tying Emani Gant (2013-16) for 10th on the school’s career list. King has made a team-high 7-of-8 free throw attempts and is putting up 7.5 points per game.
Isaiah Gurley scored seven points in his Bobcat debut after missing the season opener because of an injury. Both Deris Ducan and Nedeljko Prijovic are contributing 6.5 ppg. Prijovic leads the squad with 9.0 rebounds per game after grabbing a career-high 14 against UTSA. His total that game is the most by a Sun Belt Conference player this year.
Through two games, TXST is scoring 67.5 ppg on 42.5 percent shooting, 39.5 percent from beyond the arc and 62.5 percent at the free throw line. The Bobcats grab 37.0 rpg and have a +4.0 rebounding margin.
Scouting UT Rio Grande Valley
UT Rio Grande Valley returns nine players from last season. The Vaqueros have won two straight with victories over Bethune-Cookman and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. They opened the year with a 111-106 loss at home to Nicholls. Saturday will be the team’s second of four consecutive road games in a span of a week. Last year, UTRGV was 1-14 on the road with the lone win being the conference opener at Chicago State.
Leading the way for the Vaqueros is Nick Dixon at 24.7 ppg. He has made 21-of-42 shots, is 4-for-12 from long distance and connected on 28-of-34 free throw attempts. In overtime win against the Islanders, he scored 39 points as he went 21-for-23 at the charity stripe. The redshirt senior is also averaging 6.0 rpg, 2.3 apg and 1.7 spg.
Xavier McDaniel, Jr. is putting up 15.0 ppg and is grabbing a team-high 10.3 rpg. Both he and Moe McDonald have made a team leading six three-pointers. McDonald also has a double-digit scoring average at 10.7.
Leading UTRGV in assists is Jason Levi and Lew Stallworth with 10 apiece. Greg Bowie (8.0), Jordan Jackson (9.7) and Lesley Varner, Jr. (8.7) are all contributing at least eight points per contest off the bench.
As a team, the Vaqueros are scoring 93.3 ppg, the 36th highest in the nation, with a 42.4 field goal percentage, 29.9 three-point shooting percentage and 73.4 percentage on at the free throw line. They are grabbing 43.0 rpg and have a +1.0 rebounding margin. Of the 19.0 turnovers per game UTRGV forces, 9.3 are a result of a steal.
All-Time vs. Vaqueros
UTRGV leads the all-time series 22-15 over TXST. The Bobcats have a 9-7 record when hosting the Vaqueros at home. The last four meetings in Strahan Coliseum have seen TXST come out on top.
Last season saw UTRGV win 72-61 in Edinburg, Texas. That game saw Kavin Gilder-Tilbury score 20 points and King grab a career-high 10 boards. Dec. 13, 2015 was the last time the two programs met in San Marcos. That game ended 68-59 in favor of the Bobcats behind Gilder-Tilbury’s 22 points and four steals.
For the latest on Texas State men’s basketball, visit the official website of Texas State athletics at www.txstatebobcats.com, follow the team on Instagram and Twitter at @TxStateMBB and like on Facebook at /TexasStateMensBasketball.
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