EDINBURG - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's basketball team won its Western Athletic Conference (WAC) home opener 76-64 over the Kansas City Roos on Thursday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.

Junior Javon Levi led the Vaqueros (5-10, 1-1 WAC) by posting his second double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 assists. Senior Lesley Varner II scored a game-high tying 17 points with nine rebounds. Graduate student Jordan Jackson also scored 17 points with three steals and one block.

Jahshire Hardnett led the Roos (9-8, 2-1 WAC) with 17 points. Josiah Allick finished with 10 points.

The Roos jumped out to a 22-9 over the first 10 minutes. The Vaqueros responded with a 19-5 run that included a highlight reel dunk by Jackson and a three-pointer by Varner to go up 28-27.

The Roos led 36-35 early in the second half before the Vaqueros went on an 11-3 run, capped by a Jackson four-point play, to go up 46-39.

The Roos got as close as two at 56-54 before a layup by junior Rob McClain Jr., a pair of Levi free throws and a Jackson layup put the Vaqueros up 62-54.

Then, with the lead 64-60 and about three minutes left, Varner and freshman Quinton Johnson II hit back-to-back threes to push the game out of reach.

UTRGV hosts Chicago State on Saturday at 7 p.m. 

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KANSAS CITY - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women’s basketball team held the lead late in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Roos but fell 60-56 Thursday at Swinney Center.

Junior Trelynn Tyler led the Vaqueros (6-9, 1-1 WAC) with 17 points while graduate student Jordan Agustus recorded her fourth double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Redshirt junior Zhane Templeton added 12 points and five rebounds. 

Kansas City (9-8, 2-1 WAC) had four players in double-figure scoring with Ericka Mattingly leading the way with 17 points with six assists. Cristina Soriano added a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Awal Ajak chipped in with 13 points and four rebounds while Jonaie Johnson scored 12 points.

Kansas City scored the first six points of the game before the Vaqueros answered with a 15-0 run that was capped by a three-pointer by Tyler that made it 15-6 with 1:31 left in the first quarter.

In the second, Kansas City got within 21-15 after a layup by Johnson but a bucket and a pair of free throws by Tyler and jumpers from Agustus and freshman Sara Bershers pushed UTRGV’s lead to 29-15 with 5:19 left in the half.

UTRGV closed out the half with a 7-2 run that was highlighted by a three-pointer by Tyler to close out the half giving UTRGV its biggest lead of the night at 36-22.

The Vaqueros came out in the second half and answered Kanas City’s run with a couple of free throws by Agustus and a layup by redshirt junior Amara Graham that made it 40-27. Kansas City put together a 14-4 run that got them within 44-41 after a layup by Ajak.

Kansas City kept the pressure on the Vaqueros in the fourth. After a layup by Lopez, Kansas City took the lead with a 6-0 run that was capped by a Mattingly jumper. The Vaqueros and Kansas City went back-and-forth the rest of the way. After a three-point play by Agustus gave UTRGV the 56-54 lead, Kansas City scored the final six points to close out the game.

The Vaqueros will be back in action on Saturday when it faces Chicago State at 12 p.m. at the Jones Convocation Center.