BEAUMONT, Texas — In a thrilling contest on Saturday night, Lamar University edged past UT Rio Grande Valley with a close score of 70-68, thanks in part to a standout performance from Alexis Marmolejos, who tallied 19 points.
Marmolejos had a shooting line of 5 for 13, with a 3-point shooting percentage of 30% (3 for 10), and he made an impressive 6 out of 8 free throws for the Cardinals, who now boast a record of 14 wins and 10 losses overall, and 9 wins against 4 losses in the Southland Conference.
Joining him in the scoring effort, Errol White contributed 14 points and brought down eight rebounds, while Andrew Holifield added 13 points, connecting on 5 of his 10 attempts, including 1 of 5 from 3-point territory.
For the Vaqueros, Howard Fleming Jr. was the top performer, finishing the game with 19 points, alongside eight rebounds and five assists. K.T. Raimey supported the effort with 13 points, and Cliff Davis chipped in with 12 points, including two steals, as UT Rio Grande Valley recorded a season record of 13-11 and 5-8 in conference play.
Both teams are set to return to the court on Monday, with Lamar gearing up to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at home, while UT Rio Grande Valley prepares to head to Stephen F. Austin for their matchup.