RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball team held off the UT Arlington (UTA) Mavericks in a back-and-forth 64-62 victory on Thursday in a Western Athletic Conference (WAC) game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
Junior
Kade Hackerott led the Vaqueros (3-13, 2-5 WAC) with her third double-double of the season, recording 15 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore
Charlotte O'Keefe scored eight points with 12 rebounds, making it her second-straight game with double-digit rebounds. Junior
Arianna Sturdivant scored nine points on three 3-pointers. Freshman
Jayda Holiman came up big off the bench as she also ended with nine points and went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
Gia Adams led the Mavericks (8-9, 4-3 WAC) with a game-high 21 points.
Adela Valkova ended with 14 points and eight rebounds while
Taliyah Clark finished with a double-double, scoring 11 points with 12 rebounds.
A layup by O'Keefe sandwiched by two 3-pointers from UTA gave the Mavericks a 6-2 lead four minutes into the game. A 3 by Sturdivant and a tough and-1 layup from Hackerott gave the Vaqueros an 8-6 lead with four minutes left in the first.
Holiman scored five points in the final three minutes of the first quarter to help UTRGV build a 15-13 lead.
O'Keefe and junior
Iyana Dorsey came out strong as the Vaqueros went on a 5-0 run to take a 20-13 lead to start the second quarter. A physical quarter ensued as both teams attempted eight free throws in the frame.
With 1:33 left in the half, the Vaqueros led 30-21 after two free throws from junior
Tierra Trotter. UTA responded with a 6-0 run to make it a one-score game heading into the half.
The Mavericks scored the first five points of the third quarter to take a 32-30 lead. With the Mavericks up 39-34, Hackerott and Sturdivant responded with back-to-back 3-pointers as the Vaqueros went on an 8-0 run.
Adams answered with a layup before graduate student
Ashton McCorry converted a 3-point play to make it a 45-41 Vaqueros lead. The Vaqueros and Mavericks exchanged shots as the quarter ended with UTRGV up 49-45.
Adams and Valkova started off hot in the fourth to give UTA a 7-0 run to take a 52-49 lead. UTA and UTRGV exchanged points before back-to-back 3-pointers by freshman
Ja'Shelle Johnson and Sturdivant gave the Vaqueros a 57-54 lead that never swung back.
Up next, the Vaqueros hit the road again as they take on Tarleton State Saturday at 2 p.m. Fans can watch on
ESPN+ or internationally via WAC International.
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