KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball team won its fifth road game of the season, tying the program record previously set in 2012-13, 2004-05 and 1984-85, with a 62-53 victory over the Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos on Saturday at Swinney Recreation Center.
 
The Vaqueros are now a program record 12-7 overall and 4-0 in Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play.
 
It was the 21^st WAC win for third-year Vaqueros head coach Larry Tidwell, tying the program record for career conference wins held by Denny Downing (2009-13). Already the program's all-time leader in winning percentage (.542) and conference winning percentage (.618), Tidwell now has 45 total wins with the program, which ranks third in program history. He needs five more wins to tie Downing for second place.
 
Senior Rickell Preston scored a career-high tying 17 points with seven rebounds and four assists. Junior Shawnte' Goff also scored 17 points. Junior Anushka Maldonado scored 16 points with seven rebounds. Sophomore Hildur Björg Kjartansdóttir recorded a career-high 12 rebounds.
 
Taylor Leathers led the 'Roos (6-11, 1-3 WAC) with 12 points and seven rebounds. Aries Washington had 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
 
The Vaqueros scored the first five points of the game and led 7-2 in the opening minute and a half, but the 'Roos scored the next seven points as part of a 19-5 run to build a 21-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
 
The Vaqueros responded with a 13-3 run over the first six minutes of the second quarter, taking the lead back at 25-24 on a Goff jumper.
 
The game was tied at 31 with half a second left in the first half when junior Lile Havili made a pair of free throws to give the Vaqueros the lead for good.
 
The lead was 42-40 late in the third quarter when Maldonado made a three and a layup as part of a 7-0 run.
 
The 'Roos again pulled within one possession at 49-46 early in the fourth quarter, but Preston and Goff knocked down layups as the Vaqueros pulled away for the win.
 
The Vaqueros are back in action on Thursday at 7 p.m. when they host CSU Bakersfield at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in a game that will be televised lived throughout the state of Texas on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (323). It's Residence Life/Back to School Night. All UTRGV residence halls are invited to participate in a spirit challenge to see which dorm has the most pride. The first 100 UTRGV students in attendance will receive a free drawstring bag. Students can also enter a raffle to win a UTRGV gift basket with back-to-school essentials. Doors open at 6. With a win, the Vaqueros can tie the program record for best home start by improving to 7-0.

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