OREM, Utah – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women's basketball team fell to Utah Valley University (UVU) 69-60 on Thursday at Lockhart Arena.
 
Juniors Quynne Huggins and Krisynthia Sampson and sophomore Megan Johnson led UTRGV (10-9, 0-4 WAC) with 11 points each. Graduate student Weslaco alum Laura Van Tilburg scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting with four rebounds. Graduate student Alicia McCray grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and dished out a season-high six assists while scoring eight points on 3-of-3 shooting.
 
Mariah Seals led UVU (9-10, 3-1 WAC) with 19 points while hitting four three-pointers and dishing out a game-high seven assists. Taylor Christensen scored 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-2 from behind the arc.
 
Johnson hit a jumper and two free throws as UTRGV jumped out to a 9-2 lead over the first four minutes. A three-pointer and four free throws by Christensen, however, fueled an 18-4 run to put UVU up 20-13.
 
Freshman Amara Graham ended the first quarter and started the second with jumpers and then Van Tilburg made a layup to bring UTRGV within one before a pair of three-pointers by Seals one by Gabrielle Leos helped UVU score nine of the next 11 points to go up 29-21.
 
UVU took its largest lead of the half at 35-26 on a Britta Spencer jumper with 1:49 remaining. A Johnson layup and a deep Graham three, however, brought UTRGV within four at halftime.
 
Van Tilburg opened the third quarter with a layup to bring UTRGV within 35-33, but a Christensen three sparked a 15-3 run to push the game out of reach.
 
UTRGV is back in action on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Seattle U.

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