LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women's basketball team fell to two-time defending Western Athletic Conference Champion New Mexico State 87-67 on Saturday at the Pan American Center.
 
Senior Shawnte' Goff led UTRGV (16-11, 6-5 WAC) with 16 points and six rebounds. Freshman Megan Johnson scored 13 points with eight rebounds. Sophomore Tristan Murphy scored 12 points with nine rebounds.
 
Brooke Salas led NM State (19-6, 11-0 WAC) with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Zaire Williams scored 18 points with six assists. Tamera William scored 15 points. Brianna Freeman and Moriah Mack each finished with 14 points.
 
The game was tight throughout the first quarter. UTRGV led 2-1 early before Mack and Williams hit three-pointers to give NM State the lead. UTRGV came back to tie the game at 16 on a layup by junior Hildur Björg Kjartansdóttir and 18 on a pair of free throws by sophomore Nichele Hyman.
 
UTRGV regained the lead early in the second when a Johnson three made it 21-20, but Williams sandwiched a Salas three with threes of her own to put NM State up 29-21.
 
UTRGV got as close as six three times, including 36-30 on a pair of Goff free throws with seven seconds left in the quarter, but Gia Pack made a three before the buzzer and then Williams hit three three-pointers and Salas added one in the opening minutes of the third to push the NM State lead into double-figures for the rest of the game.
 
UTRGV is back in action on Thursday at 9 p.m. when it visits Seattle U.

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