EDINBURG – Despite for trailing for over 35 minutes on Monday night, the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros handed the East Texas A&M University men's basketball team a 57-55 loss at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
Monday was just the second ever meeting between the Lions and the Vaqueros in the regular season, the previous meeting came in 1980. This is the only meeting between the two teams in the regular season this year.
 
The Lions held a 51-42 lead with 8:29 to play but were held to just four points the rest of the game. UTRGV scored the next 13 to take a 55-51 lead at the 2:44 mark of the second half, the Lions answered with a jumper on the other end, but UTRGV hit a layup to lead by four again.
 
Entering the final minute of the game, the Lions trailed by two after a pair of free throws and forced a shot clock violation on the defensive end as the Vaqueros missed three shots during the possession.
 
On the other end, the Lions drew a foul and went to the line for a one-and-one but missed the first free throw and it was rebounded by UTRGV, who also missed the first end of the one-and-one, giving the ball back to the Lions with 12 seconds to play. TJ Thomas (Memphis, Tenn.) attempted a go-ahead three-pointer with two seconds to play, but it bounced off the rim.
 
The Lions went 4 for 11 at the line and had the lead for over 35 minutes in the game, leading by as much as 11 in the game. East Texas A&M falls to 2-15 on the season and 0-6 in Southland play, while the Vaqueros are now 11-6 overall and 3-3 against SLC opponents.
 
The first eight points of the game as the Lions held the Vaqueros without a point for the first four minutes and without a made field goal through the first six minutes and 25 seconds, leading 13-2. UTRGV closed the deficit down to one point at the half and took its first lead of the game on the first possession of the second half.
 
The Lions did not trail for much as they scored the next eight once again and extended their lead to as big as nine in the second half.
 
Tay Mosher (The Colony) led the Lions with 11 points, but was limited to just 21 minutes in the game. He played just 20 seconds in the final 8:06 of the game. Thomas scored nine to along with five rebounds, while Demarco Bethea (Sellars, S.C.) had nine points and six rebounds off the bench.
 
UTRGV's Howie Fleming Jr. scored 16 points to go along with 11 rebounds and Cliff Davis had 15. The Lions shot 37.5 percent from the field, 9 for 27 from outside, and 4 for 11 at the line, while the Vaqueros shot 38.5 percent, 7 for 26 from deep, and 10 for 22 at the line.
 

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The Lions are back in Commerce for their next two games, hosting New Orleans at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Southeastern next Monday at 1 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at LionAthletics.com/tickets.