UTRGV’s potential game-tying three falls short, lose to No. 19 Wisconsin

UTRGV senior Cliff Davis let the potential game-tying 3-pointer fly from near half court as time expired, but the attempt fell short as the Vaqueros dropped a heartbreaker to No. 19 Wisconsin 87-84 on Monday at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

The loss snaps a three-game winning streak by the Vaqueros, dropping them to 3-3 on the year.

“Obviously a tough way for it to end,” UTRGV head coach Kahil Fennell said. “Really proud of our guys for fighting. Really proud of them coming out and competing for a majority of the 40 minutes. That was a big ask for our guys. It’s obviously been a long week with some travel going to West Virginia and this being our third game in four days. So, for our guys to bear down and compete the way they did against a fantastic team, I’m really proud of the team.”

UTRGV held the lead for a majority of the contest, sitting ahead of the Badgers for 30:12 during Monday’s contest.

A 14-5 second half run by the Badgers gave them a 68-66 lead late during the final period, but UTRGV responded with a pair of big 3-pointer by Howie Fleming to jump back out on top 72-71.

A jumper by Klesmit with 4:23 remaining put the Badgers on top 76-74 before extending their lead to 82-77 at the free throw line with 2:09 left.

UTRGV continued to battle with the No. 19 team in the nation, with DK Thorn nailing a 3-pointer from the logo with 1:02 remaining to make it a one point game.

A defensive rebound by the Vaqueros on the next possession set up a potential game-winning field goal for UTRGV. The Vaqueros got the mismatch they wanted, with Abdul Hakim matched up with the smaller defender in the paint, but his jumper missed off the rim leading to a pair of free throws by Blackwell to make it 87-84 with two seconds remaining.

UTRGV got one final chance at tying the game, with Abdul Hakim finding Davis at mid-court for the game-tying 3-point attempt, but the shot fell short along with the Vaqueros’ upset bid.

“… With that being said, there is no moral victories. We come here to win,” Fennell said. “Whether it’s here, Creighton or Nebraska the expectation is to come here and respect with all due respect. As good as those teams and coaches are, we have really good players too. I feel really confident in their ability to step on the floor with anybody and compete. They’re able to give anybody a game, but we’ve got to get to the point where we’re finishing games. We’ve been in striking distance in all three of these. That’s the next step for our program and myself, starting with myself. I have to do a far better job leading us to a point where we can finish these games.”

Abdul Hakim led the Vaqueros with 19 points and eight rebounds. He was one of five UTRGV players to score in double figures during the loss. Senior K.T. Raimey added 13 points and two steals, junior Trey Miller chipped in 12 points and six assists, while Davis and Flemming each scored 10 points.

Blackwell led the Badgers with 30 points, seven rebounds and three assists. John Tonje added 19 points, while Klesmit finished with 11.

The loss ends UTRGV’s three-game road trip with a 2-1 record, returning home with a 3-3 overall record in tow.

They’ll play their next seven games at home, beginning with a non-conference contest against the Le Moyne Dolphins at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg. The game is the second of a double-header in Edinburg, with the women’s basketball team playing host to St. Mary’s at 4:30 p.m.

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