HOUSTON (Interstat) — A stifling defensive performance and a balanced scoring attack propelled Texas-Rio Grande Valley to a decisive 68-51 road victory over Houston Christian in a Southland Conference men’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at Sharp Gymnasium.

The Vaqueros, improving to 9-11 overall, seized control with a dominant first half and never relented, holding the Huskies to their second-lowest scoring output of the season. Houston Christian fell to 7-13.

The most critical phase of the game unfolded in the opening minutes of the second half, where Texas-Rio Grande Valley extinguished any hope of a Houston Christian rally. Leading 31-24 at halftime, the Vaqueros saw their advantage momentarily threatened when the Huskies’ Demari Williams converted a free throw and Demarco Bethea followed with a tip-in, cutting the deficit to 27-31 just 90 seconds after the break.

Texas-Rio Grande Valley responded with immediate and overwhelming force. On the ensuing possession, Koree Cotton powered inside for a layup. Following a Houston Christian turnover forced by Cotton’s steal, Marvin McGhee drained a 3-pointer off an assist from Jaylen Washington. Just 20 seconds later, Julien Gomez intercepted a pass and raced the length of the floor for an uncontested driving layup, capping a 7-0 burst in just 54 seconds of game time.

That sequence pushed the lead back to 38-27 and established a tone of defensive authority that Houston Christian could not overcome. The Huskies committed 18 turnovers in the game, which the Vaqueros converted into 25 points. Texas-Rio Grande Valley also tallied 11 steals, with Gomez and Washington spearheading the perimeter pressure.

Offensively, the Vaqueros were efficient, shooting 52.8 percent from the field. Cotton, a 6-foot-6 junior from Miami, led all scorers with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, adding three assists and two blocks. McGhee, from Atlanta, contributed 17 points, with 15 coming in the first half as he helped build the early cushion.

Filip Brankovic provided a crucial interior presence for the Vaqueros, scoring 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including two 3-pointers. The 6-foot-6 Serbian also went a perfect 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Washington directed the offense with a game-high six assists.

Houston Christian struggled to find consistent offense, managing just a 42.6 field goal percentage and an offensive rating of 85.3 points per 100 possessions. Bethea led the Huskies with 14 points and nine rebounds, while D’Aundre Samuels added 12 points. The Huskies’ primary ball-handlers were harassed into nine combined turnovers.

Texas-Rio Grande Valley’s defense was particularly effective in the paint, outscoring Houston Christian 38-20 inside and blocking three shots. The Vaqueros also limited their own mistakes, committing only nine turnovers.

The win marked the third in the last four games for Texas-Rio Grande Valley, which entered the contest with a narrow 51.6 percent probability to win according to Interstat’s ELO system. The combined point total of 119 fell well under the betting over/under line of 141.5.

Houston Christian, which had won two of its previous three, was held to its lowest scoring total since a 56-point outing against Incarnate Word on Jan. 3.

An announced crowd of 798 at Sharp Gymnasium saw the Vaqueros lead for over 38 minutes of game time. Texas-Rio Grande Valley built its first-half lead with a 13-2 run midway through the period, turning a 9-11 deficit into a 22-13 advantage it would not surrender.

Both teams return to conference action Monday. Texas-Rio Grande Valley travels to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, while Houston Christian hosts Incarnate Word. The two teams will meet again in a rematch on Feb. 2 in Edinburg.