CORPUS CHRISTI – Junior Mary Savoy had 22 rebounds, the second-highest single-game total in program history, to go with 20 points, four steals and three blocks to lead the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros women's basketball team past the Cal Poly Mustangs 66-58 in their final game of the Islanders Classic on Saturday at the American Bank Center.
 
Savoy is just the second player in program history to break the 20-rebounds barrier, joining Julie Shakin, who had a program record 24 rebounds against Texas Southern on Nov. 30, 1996. Seven of Savoy's rebounds were offensive. She also connected on 8 of her 15 shots.
 
Junior Shawnte' Goff scored 17 points with three assists for the Vaqueros (1-1), earning All-Tournament Team honors after averaging 19.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
 
Lynn Leaupepe led the Mustangs (1-1) with 19 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Lisa Marie Sanchez had 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Hannah Gilbert scored 13 points with 15 rebounds (six offensive).
 
Sanchez hit a pair of threes as the Mustangs scored the first eight points of the game before going up 10-2 after two and a half minutes. A jumper by sophomore Hildur Björg Kjartansdóttir, however, sparked a 9-0 run as the Vaqueros took their first lead at 11-10 with 3:50 remaining in the first quarter.
 
The Vaqueros took their first multi-point lead early in the second quarter when a Savoy steal led to a coast-to-coast layup to make it 19-17.
 
The game remained within one possession until the final two minutes of the third quarter, when Savoy converted a three-point play as the Vaqueros scored the final nine points of the period. Kjartansdóttir buried a three in the opening seconds of the fourth to cap the 12-0 run and give the Vaqueros their largest lead at 53-38.
 
The Mustangs went on a 20-6 run to pull within one in the final two minutes, but after Leaupepe missed a free throw that could have tied the game, Kjartansdóttir hit a layup and Goff made five free throws to end the game.
 
The Vaqueros play their home opener on Monday at 7 p.m. against Concordia at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in a game that will be televised lived throughout the state of Texas on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (323). There will be a special pregame ceremony to unveil the Women's Basketball Invitational banner. Doors open at 6.

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