EDINBURG, Texas - Tre'Larenz Nottingham scored 19 points to lead four players in double figures as the Texas State men's basketball team won its eighth straight game with a 77-68 victory at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley on Saturday night in UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
In addition to Nottingham's 19 points, Nijal Pearson added 16 points, Eric Terry had 15 points and Alex Peacock netted 10. Lesley Varner II led UTRGV with a game-high 20 points and Tyson Smith scored 16.
 
Nottingham scored 12 of his points in the first half as the Bobcats overcame a 5-0 deficit to lead 39-35 halftime.
 
The Vaqueros began the game with Varner II scoring the first five points with a three-point shot from the left baseline and jumper in the paint. Texas State answered with Nottingham nailing a three-point shot from the right wing and Terry adding a layup to tie the score at 5-5.
 
After UTRGV had taken a 16-12 lead, Texas State made four layups to take a 20-16 lead. Quentin Scott made the first two layups, Pearson added the third off a steal and Alonzo Sule scored the fourth on a spin move.
 
UTRGV closed back to within 20-19 when Terry Winn III made three of his four free throws. The two teams exchanged baskets before Jordan Jackson made a pair of free throws and Ndene Gueye made a jumper in the paint to give the Vaqueros a 25-24 lead. The Bobcats answered when Nottingham nailed a three-point field goal from the left wing and Peacock added another three-point shot from the left baseline corner to give Texas State a 34-28 lead with 4:04 left.
 
The Bobcats extended their lead to 39-32 when Nottingham made a layup with 37 seconds left. Tyson Smith nailed a three-pointer from the left baseline for the Vaqueros to make the halftime score 39-35.
 
The Bobcats seized control of the game in the first four minutes of the second half when they outscored UTRGV 16-6 to take a 57-41 lead with 14:01 left to play. Peacock scored five points to lead the rally, while Terry and Nottingham added four points each. Mason Harrell also added a layup off a fast break and Pearson made three free throws during the stretch.
 
The Vaqueros closed to within six, 67-61 when Uche Dibiamaka made a layup and Varner II added another layup following a charging call on Harrell.
 
Nottingham stopped the momentum when he made one of his free throws to make the score 68-61 with 4:51 left to play.
 
The Vaqueros closed back to within 68-62 when Jackson made one of his two free throws, but Pearson answered with a jump shot on the right side to give the Bobcats a 70-62 lead.
 
Varner II added a pair of free throws to make the score 70-64. The Bobcats turned the ball over on their next possession before Texas State hit a rebound off Winn III's leg with 1:32 left to play.
 
The Bobcats scored another two points against the press when Nottingham hit Terry for a layup to give Texas State a 72-64 lead with 1:23 left to play.
 
However, Nottingham was only able to make one of his two free throws and Varner II nailed a three-pointer from the right baseline to make the score 73-67 with 35.8 seconds left to play.
 
Shead was fouled on the next possession and made both free throws to extend the lead to 75-67 with 30 seconds left to play. After Tyson Smith made one of his two free throws for the Vaqueros, Peacock was fouled and answered making a pair of free throws to make the final score 77-68.
 
The victory improves Texas State's record to 10-1 and that equals the second-best start in school history. The Bobcats also began the 1952-53 season with a 10-1 record.
 
Texas State's next game is December 22 when the Bobcats  travel to Arkansas.