Coming off a loss in the opening game of the season, the Southern Utah University men’s basketball team will return home to face the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in the America First Event Center in Cedar City on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Both teams lost their first game, with UTRGV falling in a 96-81 shootout versus Baylor University and SUU going down to Arizona State University. The Vaqueros were 16-15 last year with an 8-12 conference record, and had a 2-11 record in away games.
Southern Utah
Even given a loss, SUU put up a fight last game and is looking to turn the season around right away. They saw promising things from their starters in particular.
Elijah Duval dazzled in his first game, leading the team in points, assists and steals. The freshman guard from Wilmington, Delaware was a four-star recruit and instantly made a big impact. He has the potential to be a legitimate star for the T-Birds and lead their offense.
Jayden Feroah was another standout player who has the potential to excel against UTRGV. Feroah, a six-foot nine-inch forward, held down the paint in the opening game. Despite early troubles from three, Feroah is establishing himself as a defensive and rebounding threat who has a great touch down low.
SUU saw a combined 32 minutes from bench players in the second half of last game, but their only bench points came from free throws. SUU has a deep roster, but they’ll need to see more production from non-starters in order to keep leads and finish out games.
UT Rio Grande Valley
UTRGV has also shown a lot of potential from their starting lineup, with four of their players scoring in the double digits. Starting guard Marvin McGhee III nearly recorded a double-double. The grad student from Atlanta was one of the top players for California State University, Bakersfield for three years.
The Vaqueros also look to be a great shooting team, with nearly 50% from the field and above 40% from three. Their bench was a big part of this, as nearly half of their points have been scored by non-starters.
UT Rio Grande Valley’s main struggles have come from the fast break and rebounding. While SUU also hasn’t had a high scoring pace, they’ve had a great rebounding effort especially with offensive boards and have a tall lineup.
SUU is 3-1 against UTRGV all-time. Their last matchup was a 78-73 win for the Vaqueros, but the T-Birds had three wins in a row before that, including a 20-point triumph in 2024.
Author: Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Jack Paul
