UJRGV downs Northwestern State 76-67

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA (March 10, 2026) The No. 4 seed UTRGV Vaqueros made history Tuesday morning, picking up their first Southland Conference Tournament win with a 76–67 victory over No. 5 seed Northwestern State in the quarterfinals of the Southland Conference Basketball Championships 

In just their second season in the league, UTRGV advanced to the semifinals for the first time. Last year, the Vaqueros fell in their tournament opener.
The game stayed close early. UTRGV trailed 28–27 at halftime, but everything changed in the third quarter. The Vaqueros exploded for 30 points while holding Northwestern State to just 14. That big run turned a one-point deficit into a 57–42 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Jalayah Ingram led the way with 22 points. She was perfect at the free throw line, making all 12 of her attempts, and added eight rebounds and six assists. Charlotte O’Keefe grabbed a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Gianna Angiolet scored 11 points, and Chazlyn Dettor added 10.
UTRGV shot 47 percent from the field and went a perfect 20-for-20 at the free throw line. That ties for the second-best free throw performance in Southland Conference Tournament history.
The Vaqueros also won the rebounding battle 36–30 and scored 32 points in the paint. Northwestern State got 30 points from Nya Valentine and 17 from Southland Player of the Year Vernell Atamah.
With the win, UTRGV improves to 20–12 and will face top-seeded McNeese in the semifinals Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Vaqueros dominate in historic tournament debut, Roll past Nicholls 86-68

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA (March 9, 2026)  In their very first Southland Conference men's basketball tournament game, the UTRGV Vaqueros sent a loud message: "They belong here."

The No. 3 seed Vaqueros dominated from start to finish, cruising to an impressive 86–68 quarterfinal win over the Nicholls Colonels on Monday night.
UTRGV jumped out strong and never looked back. Sharp shooting and balanced scoring kept Nicholls on its heels all evening.
The Vaqueros finished the night red-hot, shooting 58.5 percent from the field and connecting on 50 percent of their three-point attempts. They were flawless at the free-throw line, going a perfect 12-for-12. Five players reached double figures as UTRGV's offense clicked on every level.
Filip Brankovic led the charge with 21 points, hitting 9 of 12 shots while adding five rebounds and three assists in a complete performance. Koree Cotton poured in 18 points and dished out five assists. Jaylen Washington added 15 points, Marvin McGhee III scored 13, and Julien Gomez contributed 12 to keep the scoring spread out.
The Vaqueros took control in the first half, building momentum and heading to the locker room with a 44–32 lead. They stayed aggressive after the break, shooting a sizzling 68 percent from the field in the second half and pushing the lead to as many as 25 points.
Nicholls grabbed a brief early lead, but UTRGV answered with a big run midway through the opening period. After that, the Vaqueros led for more than 39 minutes and never let the Colonels get closer than 10 points in the second half.
Trae English paced Nicholls with 17 points, and Jalin Rice added 13 for the Colonels.The victory improves UTRGV to 19–13 on the season and sends them into the semifinals for the first time in program history as Southland members.
Next up, the Vaqueros will take on No. 2 seed McNeese Cowboys on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. CT. A win would put UTRGV in the conference championship game.

HCU Huskies falls at home to UTRGV 65-53

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (January 24, 2026) The HCU Huskies women’s basketball team fought hard but dropped a 65–53 decision to the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros on Saturday at Sharp Gym in Houston. The Huskies stayed close early, but UTRGV pulled away in the second half to secure the win.

HCU started the game with energy. Early in the first quarter, Madison Hurta and Grace Booth both hit three-pointers that helped the Huskies keep the score tight. HCU led at times and stayed close through the first quarter, ending it 13–12.

In the second quarter, HCU continued to score with baskets from Dasia Hyams and Kamryn McLaurin. But the Vaqueros answered with strong shooting from the outside and second-chance points. A big 11–2 run by UTRGV gave them a 32–27 lead at halftime.

UTRGV took control in the third quarter behind strong plays inside the paint. HCU tried to stay close, with Booth and Hurta scoring, but the Vaqueros kept their lead, going into the fourth quarter up 50–42.

In the final quarter, UTRGV hit back-to-back three-pointers that stretched the lead to double digits. Hurta and Jordan Jackson hit shots for HCU, but the Huskies could not cut the gap enough to win.

Booth and Hurta finished as HCU’s top scorers with 11 points each. Tove Caesar added eight and McLaurin scored seven off the bench. Hyams had six points and four rebounds.

HCU will travel to Edinburg to face the Vaqueros again on Thursday, January 29 at 6:30 p.m. in a key Southland Conference rematch.

GCU Huskies fall to UTRGV in Southland opener, 27-7

Photo courtesy HCU Athletic Media Relations

By Chris Price
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

EDINBURG, TEXAS (October 4, 2025) The HCU Huskies football team dropped its Southland Conference opener on Saturday night, falling 27-7 to UTRGV at Vackar Stadium. Despite the loss, running back Xai’Shaun Edwards (shown left) and wide receiver Deuce McMillan, both reached major milestones.

Edwards rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown, marking his second 100-yard game of the season. McMillan finished with four catches for 40 yards, surpassing 1,000 career receiving yards.

Both teams started slow on offense before UTRGV struck first late in the first quarter. The Huskies answered midway through the second quarter with a 17-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a one-yard touchdown run from Edwards to tie the game at 7-7.

HCU’s defense came up big in the first half with two interceptions—one from DJ Roberts and another from Norey Johnson—to keep the score even heading into halftime.

The Vaqueros regained momentum after the break, scoring on their opening drive of the second half to take a 14-7 lead. UTRGV extended the margin with a field goal early in the fourth quarter and sealed the game with another touchdown and field goal late.

On defense, Darius Bean and Rodney Dansby led HCU with seven tackles each. Bean added a sack, while Dansby continued his climb up the program’s all-time tackles list—he now has 392, just 23 shy of second place. Trent Zappe recorded six tackles, and Mike Sylvalie earned his first career sack.

Edwards now has six rushing touchdowns this season, the second-most in a single season in HCU history, just one behind the program record.

The Huskies (1-4, 0-1 SLC) return home next Saturday, Oct. 11, for Family Weekend at Husky Stadium. Kickoff against Northwestern State is set for 7 p.m.

Nicholls advances in SLC Tourney with 66-63 win over UTRGV

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La VIta Loca Photography, Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved 

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA  (March 10, 2025) The Nicholls Colonels women's basketball team (shown above) edged out the UT Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros with a 66-63 victory in the first round of the Southland Conference Basketball Championships.

The game was tightly contested, with both teams exchanging leads throughout. Nicholls built a 16-12 advantage midway through the first quarter, but UTRGV's defense responded, holding the Colonels scoreless for nearly five minutes to regain momentum.

In the second quarter, the physicality intensified as both teams battled for control. UTRGV's O'Keefe showcased her strength inside, contributing crucial points to keep the Vaqueros competitive.

As the game progressed, neither team could establish a decisive lead. The final minutes were marked by intense back-and-forth action, with both squads displaying resilience and determination. Ultimately, Nicholls managed to secure the win with a late-game surge, advancing to the next round of the tournament.

This victory sets up a matchup between Nicholls and the Incarnate Word Cardinals, who recently notched their program's first Southland Tournament win by defeating Southeastern Louisiana 71-67 in overtime.

Rice Owls advance in WBI with 73-72 win over Lamar

Photo by Darla S. Tamuitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017
All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 16, 2017) Leading at halftime 35-27 due largely to the shooting of senior Jasmine Goodwine (No. 33, shown right), the Rice Owls (19-13) went on to down the Lamar Cardinals (22-8) by the score of 73-72 in a first-round game of the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) at Tudor Fieldhouse on Thursday, March, 16, 2017. With the win, the Owls will face UT-Rio Grande Valley in the quarterfinals of the tournament at home on Sunday, March 19 with a 2 p.m. CDT tipoff. The Owls and Lady Cardinals have played each other 31 times, with the current win raising Rice’s record to 9-22.

Goodwine, who played her prep ball at Killeen (Texas) High School, scored 21 points along with pulling down six rebounds and three assists. Both Maya Hawkins and Shani Rainey each added 14 points for the Owls. Lamar had three players in double figures; with Kiandra Bowers and Chastadie Barrs each scoring 14, while Moe Kinard chipped in 11. The Owls led by a game-high 11 points at the 9:50 mark in the third period while leading the game for 32:40. Rice head coach Tina Langley stated after the game:

Photo by Darla S. Tamuitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017
All Rights Reserved

 “I couldn’t be more proud of our team and staff. This season has been a journey that we’ve really enjoyed so far and we definitely don’t want it to end. I’m really excited about the progress we’ve made this season.”

The win was the sixth victory in post-season play for the Owls, with their last previous win coming during the 2005-2006 season when the downed Jackson State 64-48 in the first round of the WNIT. That win was also the last time the Owls hosted a post season game.

When Rice faces UT-Rio Grande Valley on Sunday, they will be looking at a team that finished fourth in the regular season of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). In the conference tournament, the No. 4 Vaqueros dropped a 77-69 decision to the No. 5 University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos in Las Vegas.