STEPHENVILLE – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball team was defeated 70-60 by the Tarleton Texans in a Western Athletic Conference (WAC) contest Wednesday at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville. 
 
Sophomore Iyana Dorsey led UTRGV (7-8, 1-3 WAC) with 15 points, hitting three 3-pointers. Junior Mele Kailahi added 12 points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists. Sophomore Deborah Ogayemi scored eight points, swiped three steals and reeled in eight rebounds. Freshman Charlotte O'Keefe also had eight rebounds and five points. 
 
Tarleton (7-9, 1-4 WAC) was led by Teresa Da Silva's 21 points and had three others in double-digits – Mayra Caicedo scored 14 with six assists, Elise Turrabiates added 12 and had a game-high nine rebounds with three steals, and Jenna Dick scored 10 points. 
 
Dorsey knocked down back-to-back deep 3-pointers to start the game, getting fouled on the second, to give the Vaqueros an early lead. Tarleton forced some turnovers to go on a 7-0 run and claim the lead, but Kailahi showed off some nifty moves in the paint to hit an underhand layup and end the scoring drought. The Vaqueros boasted a 15-14 lead at the end of the opening quarter after junior Zariah Sango snagged an offensive rebound and buried a put-back hook shot to beat the buzzer. 
 
Kailahi kept UTRGV's momentum going to start the second quarter, but the Texans responded with a 5-0 run to get back on top. The Vaqueros created a little bit of cushion with a 26-21 advantage following a second-chance jumper by O'Keefe and a classic corner 3-pointer from junior Halie Jones, but a near five-minute scoring drought aided Tarleton's comeback. Caicedo hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to put the Texans up 28-27 at halftime. 
 
Back-to-back 3-pointers for the Texans gave them a 40-33 lead with 5:45 in the third quarter, the largest lead for either team in the tightly contested matchup. A big step-back 3-pointer from Dorsey, great effort from Kailahi and a three-point play from junior Tiffany McGarity helped the Vaqueros trim the deficit. Tarleton led 50-46 heading to the fourth quarter. 
 
UTRGV opened the final frame on a roll to get within one point down 53-52 following big buckets from Kailahi, O'Keefe and sophomore KaCee Kyle. But an 11-0 run by Tarleton midway through the fourth gave the Texans enough control to secure the 70-60 victory. 
 
The Vaqueros return to the UTRGV Fieldhouse Saturday after two weeks away for a 4 p.m. WAC game against Grand Canyon.  

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