RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball team fell 73-70 to California Baptist University (CBU) to close out the regular season on Saturday at the CBU Events Center in game that featured five ties and 11 lead changes.
 
Even with the loss, UTRGV (13-16, 8-8 WAC) clinches the fourth seed in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament after CSU Bakersfield defeated Grand Canyon. UTRGV will face fifth-seeded New Mexico State on March 11 in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament at 4:30 p.m. at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
 
Redshirt junior Amara Graham led the Vaqueros with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting while senior Megan Johnson added 12 points with six rebounds. Freshmen Sara Bershers andHalie Jones each added 10 points.
 
Lexy Rampaced CBU (15-15, 6-9 WAC) with a game-high 24 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Georgia Dale added 17 points with five rebounds and six assists while Ane Olaeta chipped in with 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists. 
 
The Vaqueros controlled most of the first quarter as a three-pointer from Johnson made it 5-1 UTRGV with 7:37 left in the quarter. Later a layup by graduate student Desirea Buerge and a pair of free throws from Jones extended UTRGV's lead to 10-3 with 4:40 left on the clock. 
 
CBU answered with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 12-12 before a three-pointer from Jones gave the lead right back to UTRGV to close out the quarter. 
 
CBU kept putting the pressure on the Vaqueros in the second quarter as a three-pointer by Brown gave them their first lead of the game at 22-21. Later in the quarter, a layup by redshirt sophomore Ashlei Lopez followed by back-to-back three-pointers from junior Trelynn Tyler and Graham gave UTRGV the 31-27 with 3:21 left in the first half but an 8-0 run helped CBU take a lead into halftime. 
 
Jones started the second half scoring with a three-pointer to get UTRGV within 37-36 but five straight points by CBU pushed its lead back up to 42-36. After a pair of free throws from Bershers and a layup from Jones got UTRGV back within one, Brown hit a three-pointer that made it 47-43 CBU with 5:13 left in the third. 
 
Bershers then followed with a three-pointer and Tyler added one of her own to give UTRGV the 49-47 lead but a three-point play by Ram to close out the quarter gave CBU the 50-49 lead heading in to the final frame.
 
In the fourth, a pair of free throws by Graham that got UTRGV within 52-51 but CBU got a three-pointer from Tiena Afuto extend its lead. Later in the quarter, a three-pointer by Graham gave UTRGV the 60-59 lead with 5:41 left to play but Ram answered with a three of her own that gave CBU the lead right back. 
 
Graham once again knocked down a three-pointer that made it 65-63 UTRGV but a three-pointer from Dale and a layup from Olaeta gave CBU the lead for good at 68-65 with 2:57 left to play.

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