LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The sixth seeded University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball team 67-54 to third-seeded Grand Canyon University (GCU) on Wednesday at Orleans Arena in the opening round of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. 
 
The Vaqueros (6-14) got a game-high 24 points, six rebounds and four assists from graduate student Amara Graham. Redshirt junior Burcu Soysal added nine points with six rebounds. 
 
Tiara Brown led GCU (18-6) with 16 points and eight rebounds while Ny'Dajah Jackson chipped in with 11 points and eight rebounds. 
 
GCU came out with the first eight points of the game before Graham got the Vaqueros on the board with a fast break layup. Graham then followed with a three-pointer to get UTRGV within 10-5 with 5:37 left in the quarter. 
 
Later in the quarter, Graham knocked down another three-pointer before Bershers knocked down one of her own to get the Vaqueros within 12-10 but GCU closed out the quarter with a 6-0 run to extend their lead to 18-10. 
 
GCU pushed their lead to 29-12 with an 11-2 run to open the second quarter. After a layup by redshirt junior Burcu Soysal, GCU lead up to 34-14 after a Taylor Caldwell layup. GCU then closed out the half on a 5-0 to give them their biggest lead of the first half at 43-22.
 
Both teams went back-and-forth in the third quarter as sophomore Halie Jones got the scoring started for the Vaqueros with a three-pointer before GCU got back-to-back layups to make it 49-25.
 
Later in the quarter, senior Iva Belosevic hit a cutting layup to get UTRGV within 54-31 and then redshirt sophomore Jena' Williams hit a three to close out the quarter with the Vaqueros trailing 56-36. 
 
GCU scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to get their biggest lead of the night at 62-36. Graham 11 points in the fourth but GCU's lead was too much to overcome.