SAN ANTONIO (Interstat) — Two Southland Conference men’s basketball teams looking to climb above .500 in league play will meet Saturday when the Incarnate Word Cardinals host the Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros.

The game at McDermott Convocation Center is a rematch of a Jan. 5 contest won decisively by UTRGV, 80-67, in Edinburg. The Vaqueros (10-11, 4-4 Southland) have won three of their last four, including a 64-55 road victory at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Monday. The Cardinals (9-12, 3-5) have dropped four of their last five, most recently falling 81-75 at Houston Christian on Tuesday.

UTRGV guard Julien Gomez, who scored 10 points with five assists in the first meeting, is coming off a season-high 19-point performance in Monday’s win. Over his last eight games, Gomez is averaging 9.1 points and 2.0 assists per contest.

Incarnate Word will counter with guard Jordan Pyke, who is capable of explosive scoring. He poured in a career-high 27 points in the loss to Houston Christian. His versatility was on display earlier this month when he posted a 10-rebound game. In the Jan. 5 loss to UTRGV, he was held to nine points.

Both teams are tightly packed in the middle of the Southland standings. A win for UTRGV would solidify its position in the top half, while Incarnate Word seeks to even the season series and gain crucial momentum before a tough two-game road trip next week.

The Vaqueros have found success recently with balanced scoring, as evidenced by three players reaching double figures in the win over Corpus Christi. The Cardinals will need to improve defensively after allowing 80 or more points in three of their last five losses.

Tipoff is set for Saturday, January 31, 2026, in San Antonio.