![\"UTRGV\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/UTRGVLogo.png\")
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Next Game:<\/p>\n
UTRGV<\/p>\n
1\/12\/2026 | 6:30 PM<\/p>\n
\n ESPN+
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\n KZBL 100.7 FM
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\n Jan. 12 (Mon) \/ 6:30 PM
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\n \u00a0UTRGV
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History <\/a><\/p>\n
Thomas buried a buzzer-beating, one-legged 3-pointer in transition as time expired to lift Northwestern State (5-11, 3-4) to a dramatic 79\u201378 Southland Conference men’s basketball win over the Islanders on Mike McConathy Court at Prather Coliseum, completing a comeback that unfolded slowly, painfully, and then all at once.<\/p>\n “We were left for dead at times, and they never gave up,” head coach Rick Cabrera<\/a> said. “We defended at the right time, got stops at the right time, and Micah hit a great shot. That’s the greatest feeling in basketball.”<\/p>\n Texas A&M\u2013Corpus Christi (8-8, 4-3) controlled the opening half, setting the tone with physical defense and efficient offense. The Islanders capitalized on Northwestern turnovers and second-chance opportunities to open the game on an 8-0 run and consistently beat the Demons down the floor.<\/p>\n A&M-Corpus Christi stretched the lead to double digits midway through the half, peaking at 17 points with 6:44 remaining, shooting 60 percent from the field and controlling the paint.<\/p>\n Northwestern struggled to generate consistent stops early, allowing the Islanders to score on consecutive possessions while dictating tempo.<\/p>\n Despite the slow start, the Demons closed the half with renewed energy sparked by key contributions off the bench.<\/p>\n J.C. Riley Jr.<\/a> and freshman CJ Larry<\/a> provided an immediate lift after checking in, helping shift momentum late in the half. Riley Jr. poured in 11 first-half points in just eight minutes, while Larry posted a team-best plus-10 rating in the opening 20 minutes.<\/p>\n “Being down didn’t change our mind-set,” Riley Jr. said. “We’ve been through it before. We just stayed together and kept fighting.”<\/p>\n Northwestern also began attacking the rim and earning trips to the free-throw line, an area where the Demons held a 15\u201312 advantage, trimming the deficit late and heading into halftime trailing 40\u201336.<\/p>\n
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\n NATCHITOCHES \u2014 Northwestern State trailed for most of Saturday afternoon, absorbed multiple Texas A&M\u2013Corpus Christi scoring runs, and still found a way to steal the final possession.
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\nMicah Thomas<\/a> made sure it was the only one that mattered.<\/p>\n