EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women's basketball team fell to CSU Bakersfield 67-61 on Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
Junior
Hildur Björg Kjartansdóttir led UTRGV (16-10, 6-4 WAC) by posting her fourth double-double of the season with a career-high tying 17 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore
Nichele Hyman scored 12 points with a career-high eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Junior Weslaco alum
Laura Van Tilburg grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds (six offensive) while scoring six points.
Kate Tokuhara and
Aja Williams led Bakersfield (11-12, 6-3 WAC) with 11 points each.
Erika Williams finished with 10 points.
Senior
Shawnte' Goff hit a pair of early threes to help UTRGV build a 6-5 lead. Tokuhara followed with a layup and a three, however, as Bakersfield went on a 9-1 run to take a 14-7 lead.
Bakersfield extended its lead to 26-16 on an Aja Williams three, but sophomore
Bernesha Peters answered with a three of her own as part of an 8-0 run to bring UTRGV within 26-24 late in the second quarter.
UTRGV was still within one possession at 31-28 in the final minute of the second, but a
Britttany Sims three-point play and three-pointers by Erika Williams and Tokuhara allowed Bakersfield to go on a 9-2 run to restore its 10-point lead at 40-30 early in the third.
Bakersfield still led by 10 at 43-33 when UTRGV scored eight-straight points, punctuated by a three by sophomore
Idil Türk, to pull within 43-41.
UTRGV came as close as two at 50-48 on a Kjartansdóttir three before Bakersfield responded with a 9-2 run to go up 57-48.
UTRGV hit three baskets, including a three, and four free throws in the final minute to get as close as three, but Bakersfield went 5-for-8 from the line to protect its lead.
UTRGV is back in action on Saturday at 3 p.m. when it visits two-time defending WAC Champion New Mexico State in a rematch of the last two WAC Tournament Championship Games.
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