The UTRGV Vaqueros took down Stephen F. Austin 68-65 on Thursday night in the conference opener.

With the win, UTRGV starts conference play 1-0 for the first time since 2020. This comes after a rough 2023-24 season in which the Vaqueros finished with a 2-18 conference record.

The win signifies another step forward under new head coach Kahil Fennel for the Vaqueros basketball program.

The game was tightly contested throughout with 15 lead changes and six ties throughout the night. No team led by more than six at any point in the contest.

The Vaqueros strong free throw shooting powered them to victory, as the team scored their final 11 points of the night at the line.

The next game for UTRGV will be on Saturday at home against Lamar.