HAMMOND, La. (Interstat) — Texas-Rio Grande Valley cruised to a 96-75 men’s basketball victory over Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday at University Center. The Vaqueros built a 20-point halftime lead and never relented, sweeping the season series before an announced crowd of 422. Isaiah Gaines scored 24 points for the Lions in the loss. The Vaqueros had a balanced attack with Koree Cotton and Filip Brankovic each scoring 18 points. Texas-Rio Grande Valley improved to 16-12 overall, while Southeastern Louisiana fell to 8-20.

HAMMOND, La. (Interstat) — In a display of offensive efficiency rarely seen this season, the Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros dismantled the Southeastern Louisiana Lions 96-75 in a Southland Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at University Center. The Vaqueros (16-12, 9-6) put on a shooting clinic, connecting on 62% from the field and a blistering 57.1% from beyond the arc. Their 16 made 3-pointers and near-perfect 18-of-19 performance from the free-throw line fueled a dominant wire-to-wire victory before an announced crowd of 422. The game was effectively decided in a breathtaking first-half onslaught. Texas-Rio Grande Valley raced out to a 20-point lead less than eight minutes into the contest and never looked back, leading 46-26 at halftime. The Vaqueros opened the game with a 12-2 run, highlighted by early 3-pointers from Marvin McGhee and Filip Brankovic, and stretched the lead to 30-11 on a Koree Cotton dunk with 7:17 remaining in the half. Southeastern Louisiana (8-20, 5-10) struggled to find any offensive rhythm, shooting just 4 of 17 from 3-point range for the game and missing 12 free throws. The most important stretch of the game came early in the second half as the Lions attempted to mount a comeback. After cutting the deficit to 17 points, Southeastern Louisiana saw the Vaqueros respond with a decisive 9-2 spurt. A 3-pointer from Zae Blake and consecutive baskets from Jaylen Washington and Filip Brankovic pushed the lead back to 24 and extinguished any lingering hope for the home team. The Lions would get no closer than 19 points the rest of the way. Isaiah Gaines was a bright spot for Southeastern Louisiana, scoring a game-high 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting and adding seven rebounds. CJ Booker facilitated the offense with seven assists. For the Vaqueros, the scoring was remarkably balanced and efficient. Six players scored in double figures, led by 18 points apiece from Koree Cotton and Filip Brankovic. Cotton added two assists and two steals, while Brankovic shot 6 of 7 from the field. Marvin McGhee scored 17 points, all in the first half, and Dane Christensen provided a spark off the bench with 12 points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting, including two 3-pointers. The statistical disparity was stark. Texas-Rio Grande Valley posted an offensive rating of 152.3, scoring 1.52 points per possession, while Southeastern Louisiana managed 1.16 points per possession. The Vaqueros committed only eight turnovers and dished out 18 assists on 31 made field goals. Despite being outrebounded 36-24 and allowing 11 offensive boards, the Vaqueros’ shooting accuracy rendered those disadvantages moot. The victory avenged a narrow 68-65 home loss to the Lions back on Jan. 19 and continued Texas-Rio Grande Valley’s push in the Southland standings. Southeastern Louisiana’s difficult season continues, having lost eight of its last ten games. Texas-Rio Grande Valley travels to face McNeese State on Monday. Southeastern Louisiana will host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, also on Monday.

HAMMOND, La. (Interstat) — A surging Texas-Rio Grande Valley squad looks to continue its climb in the Southland Conference standings when it visits struggling Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday at the University Center. The Vaqueros (15-12) have won seven of their last nine games, including a 70-65 home victory over Lamar on Monday. They currently sit in the upper half of the conference. The Lions (8-19), meanwhile, have lost four of their last five and are near the bottom of the league. UTRGV will lean on the hot hand of guard Filip Brankovic. The standout has averaged 17.1 points over his last eight contests, including a 24-point outburst in the win over New Orleans on Feb. 7 and 19 points against Lamar. His scoring efficiency has been a catalyst for the Vaqueros’ offensive uptick. Southeastern Louisiana will counter with forward Isaiah Gaines, a consistent presence in the paint. Gaines is coming off a 10-rebound performance in a loss to Texas A&M-Commerce and has shown versatility with multiple games this month featuring points, rebounds, assists and blocks. The teams met just over a month ago in Edinburg, Texas, with UTRGV escaping with a 68-65 win. The Vaqueros have relied on a balanced attack, as seen against Lamar where Koree Cotton added 15 points and Jaylen Washington dished out eight assists. For the Lions, recent struggles have stemmed from offensive inconsistency, failing to reach 70 points in any of their last five outings. They will need a strong defensive effort to slow Brankovic and contain a UTRGV team averaging 78.4 points during its recent 7-2 stretch. Saturday’s contest is the only scheduled meeting between the programs this regular season. Following this game, UTRGV travels to face McNeese State on Monday, while Southeastern Louisiana hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.