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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The second-seeded University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball team guaranteed itself a spot in either the NCAA Tournament or the WNIT by defeating third-seeded CSU Bakersfield 73-72 in double overtime in the WAC Tournament Semifinals on Friday at Orleans Arena.
 
UTRGV will face top-seeded New Mexico State for the WAC Tournament Championship for the second year in a row on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT (1 p.m. PT) in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPNU. The winner clinches an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament while the loser advances to the WNIT.
 
UTRGV and New Mexico State split the season series, with UTRGV winning 66-55 on the road on March 5 and falling 68-57 at home on Jan. 30.
 
The Vaqueros are now 19-12, marking the second-straight year they have won a program record 19 games. Last year's record-breaking season culminated in the program's first postseason berth, a trip to the WBI.
 
The Vaqueros trailed 70-68 with a minute and a half remaining in the second overtime when freshman Idil Türk buried a three to give the Vaqueros the lead. Tylinn Carter made a layup 28 seconds later, but senior Rickell Preston won the game by making a layup with 5.9 seconds on the clock.
 
Junior Shawnte' Goff led the Vaqueros with 24 points and three steals. Sophomore Hildur Björg Kjartansdóttir posted her eighth double-double of the season, third in a row and seventh in the last 10 games with 10 points and a career-high tying 16 rebounds (seven offensive). Preston finished with eight points, 10 rebounds and three steals.
 
Batabe Zempare led the Roadrunners (12-19) with 25 points and 16 rebounds. Addi Walters scored 15 points while hitting four three-pointers. Carter scored 12 points with four blocks.
 
Walters scored five quick points as the Roadrunners jumped out to a 7-2 lead, but with the score 9-4, junior Anushka Maldonado made a layup, Goff nailed a three, and Kjartansdóttir converted a three-point play as the Vaqueros scored eight-straight points to spark an 18-2 run and go up 22-11 on a Goff three-point play with 3:19 remaining in the first quarter.
 
Batabe Zempare scored five points to fuel a 9-0 run that brought the Roadrunners within two, but a Goff jumper and a Kjartansdóttir three pushed the lead out to 27-20 at the quarter break.
 
Walter and Carter opened the second quarter with three-pointers to make it a one-point game.
 
The Roadrunners regained the lead on the first possession of the third when a Dajy Vines three made it 36-34, but Maldonado responded with a three to put the Vaqueros back on top.
 
The Roadrunners took the lead back on an Erika Williams layup that made it 40-39, but a layup by Preston sparked a 7-0 run to give the Vaqueros a 46-40 lead midway through the third. The Roadrunners responded by closing the quarter on an 11-3 run, capped by a Walter three at the buzzer, to go up 51-49.
 
Preston answered by converting a three-point play the start of the fourth quarter to give the Vaqueros the lead and start a 10-0 run to make it 57-51 on a Maldonado jumper with 7:07 remaining.
 
The Roadrunners came back to tie the game at 63 when Zempare hit two free throws with 33.9 seconds remaining.
 
Zempare hit a layup on the first possession of overtime to give the Roadrunners a 65-63 lead. Sophomore Weslaco alum Laura Van Tilburg tied the game with a layup three minutes later, but Carter hit a jumper seconds later to put the Roadrunners back on top.
 
Türk tied the game with a pair of free throws with 20.4 seconds left.
 
Brittany Sims hit a free throw to give the Roadrunners the lead at the 3:06 mark of the second overtime, but freshman Tristan Murphy tied the game with a free throw 30 seconds later.

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