EDINBURG, Texas (Interstat) — Southland Conference play resumes Monday as the Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros host the New Orleans Privateers at UT Pan Am Field House. The Vaqueros (5-6) enter on a two-game winning streak, including a dominant 109-51 victory over Biblical Stud. on Dec. 20. A player to watch for UTRGV is Dane Christensen, who posted a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds in just 21 minutes in that rout. The Vaqueros have shown resilience at home, with recent wins over Austin Peay and Lamar. New Orleans (4-8) looks to rebound from a difficult 99-57 road loss at Houston on Dec. 13. In that game, guard MJ Thomas led the Privateers with 17 points. The Privateers’ season has been marked by a challenging non-conference schedule, featuring road games against LSU, Memphis, Texas Tech and Mississippi State, which they took to overtime. Their most recent win was an 84-83 home victory over Incarnate Word on Dec. 8. This matchup opens a critical stretch for both teams as they dive into league play. UTRGV holds a slight edge in the standings and will aim to protect its home court. New Orleans, seeking to level its conference record, will need to improve its offensive output after being held under 60 points in three of its last five games. The game tips off at 7 p.m. CST Monday. Following this contest, UTRGV will host Nicholls State on Wednesday, while New Orleans travels to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.