PHOENIX, Ariz. – Down by 17 in the first quarter, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women's basketball team came back to take a three-point lead before falling to Grand Canyon University (GCU) 59-58 on Thursday at GCU Arena.
 
UTRGV's (11-12, 1-7 WAC) seven Western Athletic Conference losses have come by a total of 31 points for an average of 4.4 points per game.
 
Sophomore Megan Johnson led UTRGV with 14 points while going 8-for-8 from the foul line. Junior Quynne Huggins scored 10 points with eight rebounds. Junior Krisynthia Sampson scored 10 points with seven rebounds.
 
Jessica Gajewski led GCU (12-11, 6-3 WAC) with 19 points. August Touchard scored 13 points with six assists.
 
GCU scored the first 10 points while jumping out to a 21-4 lead over the opening nine minutes.
 
UTRGV still trailed by 17 at 23-6 early in the second when layups by freshman Brownsville Saint Joseph alum Valeria Tapia and graduate student Marie-Fatou Gueye sparked a 20-10 run to bring UTRGV within 33-26 late in the quarter.
 
UTRGV trailed 36-27 early in the third when Huggins, Sampson and Johnson made consecutive layups as part of a 14-3 run that put UTRGV up 41-39 midway through the quarter.
 
UTRGV led by as much as three at 50-47 on a Johnson three-point play and 55-52 on a Sampson three with 6:44 remaining.
 
Gajewski responded with two jumpers and Touchard added a three, however, to give GCU the lead for good.
 
UTRGV is back in action on Saturday at 3 p.m. at CSU Bakersfield.

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