SEATTLE, Wash. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball team came back from a 14-point deficit to beat the Seattle University Redhawks 76-71 on Thursday at the Connolly Complex.
 
Junior Shawnte' Goff led the Vaqueros (15-11, 7-4 WAC) with a season-high 29 points on 8-of-20 shooting field, plus a career-high 11-of-13 from the line, with three steals. Junior Anushka Maldonado scored 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 from behind the arc. Sophomore Hildur Björg Kjartansdóttir scored 12 points with 11 rebounds (eight offensive) for her fifth double-double of the season. Senior Rickell Preston scored six points with six rebounds and a career-high seven assists.
 
Tal Sahar led the Redhawks (9-17, 3-8 WAC) with 19 points. Taelor Ross scored 12 points with eight rebounds. Kaylee Best scored 10 points with nine rebounds and eight assists.
 
The Redhawks led 51-37 with 5:35 remaining after a Sahar three, but the Vaqueros responded with a 19-5 to tie the game on a Goff jumper early in the fourth quarter.
 
The Vaqueros took the lead for the first time on a Goff layup that made it 60-58, but Ross made a jumper to tie the game.
 
Goff responded with a three, but Sahar hit one of her own to knot the game at 63.
 
Kjartansdóttir responded with a layup to spark a 7-0 run as the Vaqueros took a 70-63 lead.
 
The Redhawks pulled back to within one possession at 74-71 in the final seconds, but Goff hit a pair of free throws to put the game on ice.
 
The Vaqueros are back in action on Saturday at 3 p.m. when they visit CSU Bakersfield.

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