LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball team clinched the No. 2 seed in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Tournament by knocking off the WAC Champion New Mexico State University Aggies, who had previously been undefeated in WAC play, 66-55 on Saturday at the Pan American Center.
 
This is the highest conference tournament seed in program history.
 
The win sets up a WAC Tournament Quarterfinals matchup against seventh-seeded Chicago State on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. CT (4:30 p.m. PT) at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
 
Junior Shawnte' Goff led four Vaqueros (17-12, 9-5 WAC) in double-figures scoring with 20 points while hitting four three-pointers to go with eight rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Hildur Björg Kjartansdóttir posted her sixth double-double of the season with a career-high tying 17 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Senior Rickell Preston scored 11 points with eight rebounds. Junior Anushka Maldonado scored 10 points with six rebounds and two steals.
 
Shanice Davis led three Aggies (24-4, 13-1 WAC) in double-figures scoring with 15 points and eight rebounds. Moriah Mack scored 12 points with eight rebounds. Sasha Weber also scored 12 points.
 
Goff was on fire throughout the first quarter, scoring 11 points on a trio of three-pointers to help the Vaqueros build a 22-15 lead. Goff's first two threes put the Vaqueros up 9-2 in the opening minutes, and her last one sparked an 8-0 run to make it 22-13 with one minute left in the quarter.
 
The Aggies pulled within 22-19 early in the second quarter on a Mack layup, but freshman Bernesha Peters hit a three and a layup to spark a 12-0 run to push the lead out to 15.
 
The Vaqueros scored the first nine points of the third quarter to extend their lead to 45-25 on a Kjartansdóttir jumper with 7:32 remaining, but Weber hit a three-pointer and a layup to kick off a 16-2 run and bring the Aggies within 47-41 six minutes later.
 
Goff opened the fourth quarter with a three and Kjartansdóttir knocked down a layup to make it 53-42, but a Weber three sparked an 11-2 run that saw the Aggies pull within 55-53 with 5:07 left.
 
The Vaqueros' lead was still two at 57-55 with 3:49 to go, but Goff hit a pair of free throws, Maldonado made a layup, Preston knocked down a free throw, Kjartansdóttir hit two free throws, and Maldonado made one as well to push the game out of reach.

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