SAN ANTONIO – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball team dropped a Southland Conference (SLC) game Thursday to the Incarnate Word (UIW) Cardinals, 52-43, at the McDermott Center.
Junior forward
Charlotte O'Keefe recorded her seventh double-double as she led UTRGV (9-9, 4-3 SLC) with 16 points and 16 rebounds, also recording two blocks. Freshman guard
Gianna Angiolet scored nine points with two steals. Graduate student guard/forward
Kade Hackerott added six points and six rebounds with two assists.
Destiny Whitaker led UIW (9-7, 4-3 SLC) with 14 points and had four rebounds.
Raimi McCrary scored eight with six rebounds. All nine Cardinals to take the court scored at least four points and
Dorian Norris had a team-high eight rebounds.
A defensive first quarter saw UTRGV hold an 8-7 lead after 10 minutes. The Vaqueros were locked in on the defensive end, forcing shot clock violations and keeping the Cardinals from running any offensive sets. But the shots didn't fall on the other end and kept the score low despite solid play in the paint.
Angiolet drove straight to the hoop to start the second quarter, but UIW responded with a 7-0 run to jump on top for the first time in the game. UTRGV's success down low continued, and after a pair of free throws from senior guard
Tierra Trotter, the contest was locked at 14-14. The Cardinals went on another scoring run to grow their largest lead at 22-16. The Vaqueros defense answered the bell to finish the half, keeping UIW off the board for the final two minutes to get within 22-20 at halftime.
Incarnate Word controlled the third quarter, shooting 53% to lead by as many as 12 points. UTRGV struggled to hit shots from long range and was slowed down by the increased physical play in the paint from the Cardinals. O'Keefe used a three-point play late in the quarter to cut the deficit to five points, but UIW knocked down a three-pointer and led, 40-28, heading to the fourth.
After three quarters without making a three-point shot, the Vaqueros knocked down two early in the fourth from freshmen guards
Elizabeth Romer and Angiolet. But the Cardinals continued to hit shots consistently and maintained a double-digit lead for most of the frame. O'Keefe drilled a three-pointer in the final minute, but the hole was too deep to climb out of.
UTRGV's next game is Saturday at 1 p.m. against Houston Christian at Sharp Gym.
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