EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women's basketball team shot .500 from the field during a Western Athletic Conference (WAC) contest for the first time in program history to pick up its first WAC victory of the season, 81-44 over Chicago State University (CSU) on Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
UTRGV (11-10, 1-5 WAC) last shot .500 against a conference opponent on March 9, 2013, in a home Great West Conference victory over Chicago State.
 
UTRGV last shot this well in a game on Nov. 16, 2015, when UTRGV shot .531 in a home win over Concordia.
 
UTRGV hit a season-high tying 11 three-pointers in 24 tries (.458).
 
Sophomore Megan Johnson led UTRGV with 12 points and three steals. Junior Jameka Dowell scored 11 points. Junior Nichele Hyman scored 10 points with a career-high six assists and a career-high tying three steals. Junior Quynne Huggins also scored 10 points. Graduate student Alicia McCray grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
 
Sisters Emily and Daniela Azubell, who are alumni of Edinburg Vela, played together for the first time during the final three minutes of the game, assisting on each other's baskets.
 
Alexandria Cliff led CSU (0-21, 0-6 WAC) with 15 points. Phylicia Johnson finished with 10 points.
 
Johnson hit two early three-pointers and Huggins, Dowell, Hyman and junior Idil Türk added three-pointers of their own to help UTRGV build a 27-10 lead over the opening 12 minutes.
 
Chicago State responded by hitting its next six shots to power a 17-5 run and pull within 32-27.
 
UTRGV closed the half on a 7-3 run, capped by a deep Türk three, to go up 39-30.
 
UTRGV continued the offensive onslaught over the first five minutes of the third quarter, going on a 14-3 run, capped by a pair of Hyman free throws, to go up 53-33 and push the game out of reach.
 
UTRGV is back in action on Saturday at 7 p.m. against New Mexico State during Youth Night at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Children 13 and under will receive free admission with the purchase of an adult ticket. The first 150 kids in attendance will receive a UTRGV spirit pack that includes a drawstring backpack, wristband, sticker, temporary tattoo, and pom pom. Doors open at 6.

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