Thunderbirds Come Up Short at UTRGV

CEDAR CITY, UTAH -- Fresh off of a hard-fought loss at New Mexico State on Monday, the Thunderbirds were locked in a tight battle at UTRGV and came up just short, losing 78-73.

Head Coach Rob Jeter said

"That was a really physical game, and I am not sure we were ready for it. We had some guys step up for some injured players, and that was good to see. We got one more non-conference game and it's at home, so let's pack the AFEC and end the preseason with a win!"

Top T-Birds

• Jamir Simpson led the team with 20 points on the night and played for all 40 minutes of the contest.
• Lorenzo Abellar started his first game for the Thunderbirds and scored four points, grabbed five rebounds, dished five assists, and had two steals.
• The five starters combined for 68 of the 73 total points scored.
• Brock Felder, Jamari Sibley, and Simpson all pulled down six rebounds.

Game Recap

Neither team could make a shot for the first four minutes of the game until a corner three by Jamir Simpson gave the Thunderbirds a 7-4 lead at the 16:01 mark. But then, the Vaqueros went on a 16-5 run over the next five minutes, and the lead was nine with 11 minutes to go in the first half.

SUU continued to battle and pulled it all the way back to a two-point game on a Jamari Sibley made free-throw, but once again, the Vaqueros had a burst of scoring and would enter the halftime break with a 34-28 lead.

The teams came out exchanging baskets to start the second half, including a perfect 3-3 start from the field by Brock Felder. A jumper from Ford and the Vaqueros called timeout with a 43-38 lead at the under-16.

Neither team ever led by double-digits, but every time SUU had a run or would string together multiple stops in a row, the Vaqueros had an answer. SUU cut the lead to two points four different times but could never tie or retake the lead.

Up Next

The Thunderbirds will close out non-conference play at home against Northern Arizona on Saturday, December 21, at 2:00 p.m. in the AFEC.