RGV Capsules: UTPA earns first win of season

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND – OK, OK Chattanooga isn’t exactly the same team that made the 2008-09 NCAA Tournament but at this point a win over anyone would have felt great for UTPA.

Yes, the Broncs, who were winless entering the final two rounds of the South Padre Island Invitational, beat a postseason team 61-50 on Friday at the Island’s convention center.

UTPA takes on Bethune-Cookman, a 66-62 winner over Longwood University on Friday, at 2 p.m. today in the tourney’s final round.

“Tennessee-Chattanooga is traditionally a good program,” Broncs coach Ryan Marks said. “We know, obviously, they are young and not the same personal as last season but when basketball fans around the country see the scores coming up on that ticker and see that Pan-American beat Tennessee-Chattanooga, that’s a heck of a win.”

The Broncs improve to 1-5 on the season, giving Marks his first win as a Division I coach and earning their first regular season win since beating NJIT March 3. UTPA had struggled up until Friday against strong competition.

“It feels pretty good,” Broncs guard Jared Maree said. “We have been working hard for this in practice. We played some really good teams. We still believe in our program and in our coach. It feels good to finally get a win.”

Even more impressive for the young Broncs was that they weathered a Mocs run in the first half that they aren’t known to bounce back from.

The Mocs (2-3) led 19-11 with 6:55 left in the first half after a 13-2 run but the Broncs scored 17 of the last 21 points in the opening frame to take a 28-23 halftime lead, one they would not relinquish.

The Broncs led by 17 points four different times in the second half.

“I thought that there was a great moment of growth in the first half,” Marks said. “Those guys were on a little spurt. We easily could have been dispirited. Our guys calmly regained their composure and outplayed them the rest of the half.”

The Mocs made a push late in the game but a 32.7 percent-shooting performance wasn’t going to cut it. Not that UTPA shot much better at 34 percent.

“We have a long ways to go,” Mocs coach John Shulman said. “We can get there but we got to change our mindsets. The kids don’t understand how good everyone is on this level. Texas-Pan American was 0-5. We probably would have been 0-5 with that schedule.”

UTPA was led by Luis Valera’s 12 points and eight rebounds. DeAntre Jefferson led the Mocs with 12 points.

“We did a good job on both sides – offense and defense,” Valera said. “We really improved our game and we are really coming together.”

Peter Rasmussen covers UTPA athletics for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448 or via e-mail at prasmussen@themonitor.com

BETHUNE-COOKMAN 66, LONGWOOD 62: CJ Reed scored 21and Starling Alexander added 19, including the go-ahead tip-in, to help lead the Wildcats to a third-round win over the Lancers.

Bethune-Cookman advances to take on UTPA on the final day of the tourney at 2 p.m. today and improves to 2-3 on the season.

The score was tied 62-62 with 1:30 left in the game when Alexander scored his basket to put the Wildcats up 64-62. The Wildcats nailed three of four free throws during the final 17 seconds to secure the win.

Antwan Carter led the Lancers with 19 points.

Hockey

Goeckner-Zoeller leads Bees

AMARILLO - Grant Goeckner-Zoeller scored twice and factored into another goal as the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees skated to their fourth straight win in 4-1 decision over the Amarillo Gorillas on Friday at Cal Farley Coliseum.

Andy Franck made 32 saves for RGV, which is now five games over .500 with a 10-5-2 record.

After a scoreless first period, Goeckner-Zoeller connected twice in the middle period for his 12th and 13th goals. He also earned the primary helper on Jesse Bennefield's third period tally. The Killer Bees are now 9-0-0 when leading after two periods this season. Aaron Lee also chipped in with an empty-netter with 39 seconds left in the final period.

Shaun Arvai scored Amarillo's only goal, ruining Franck's shutout bid late in the third.

The Killer Bees travel to Odessa on Saturday (7 p.m.) and Allen on Sunday (6:30 p.m.) before returning home against Laredo on Dec. 2 at 7:35 p.m.

-- Killer Bees Services