HOUSTON – Senior forward
Charlotte O'Keefe became the first student-athlete in The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball history to reach 1,000 career rebounds behind her sixth double-double of the season to lead the Vaqueros to a 65-53 Southland Conference (SLC) victory Saturday over the Houston Christian University (HCU) Huskies at Sharp Gym.
O'Keefe had a perfect shooting day, going 7-for-7 from the field, including 3-for-3 from behind the arc for a career-high tying three triples, and 2-for-2 from the free throw line as she scored 19 points with a season-high tying 22 rebounds. She also had three blocks and three assists.
O'Keefe, already the program record holder for career rebounds, single-season rebounds, and single-game rebounds, now has 1,001 career rebounds and is one of only 10 active Div. I players to reach 1,000 career rebounds. She is now chasing 1,000 career points and sits at 905 after her sixth double-digit scoring game of the season. She has 129 career blocks, which is third all-time in UTRGV history and five shy of another program record.
Junior guard
Jalayah Ingram recorded her third double-double with 21 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. She dished out five assists and had two steals to help the UTRGV (11-9, 8-3 SLC) victory. Redshirt junior guard
Erin Maguire scored 10 points. The Vaqueros improved to 5-1 on the road in conference games, tying the program record for most conference road wins.
Grace Booth and
Madison Hurta led the Huskies (5-13, 3-8 SLC) with 11 points each.
The tone for the game was set from the opening whistle as the teams pushed the pace and played aggressive defense. Maguire, returning to the gym where she played her first three seasons, scored the first points of the game. The Vaqueros were controlling the boards and shot well early in the first quarter to open a 13-8 lead. But HCU's defense forced several turnovers late and kept UTRGV scoreless for the last 4:31 of the quarter to get within 13-12. O'Keefe had seven rebounds in the first quarter and HCU had eight as a team.
Sophomore guard
Gianna Angiolet got a clutch three-point party started in the second quarter to have the Vaqueros leading 32-27 at halftime. Angiolet was 2-for-2 from behind the arc and O'Keefe also hit a deep shot as part of an 11-0 run which took UTRGV from trailing by two to leading, 31-22. UTRGV's defense kept the Huskies off the board for over four minutes in the second quarter, but HCU closed the half strong with a 5-1 run.
O'Keefe and Ingram took over in the third quarter to create some cushion and serious momentum for UTRGV. O'Keefe had nine points and five rebounds in the frame, helping the Vaqueros take a 50-42 lead to the fourth quarter. The Vaqueros led by as many as nine midway through the quarter as O'Keefe drilled her third three. Ingram facilitated well and got to the free throw line frequently.
Maguire and junior guard
Madison Huhn knocked down back-to-back clutch three-pointers to start the fourth, giving the Vaqueros a 56-45 edge after HCU cut the deficit to four. O'Keefe had eight rebounds and two massive blocks in the fourth quarter to prevent the Huskies from making a comeback. Maguire made two triples and Ingram kept the Vaqueros in rhythm to help put the game away.
The Vaqueros will host the Huskies Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Fans can purchase tickets at
UTRGVTickets.com. Current UTRGV students receive free general admission with their student ID but will need to claim a ticket at
GoUTRGV.com/StudentTickets. Fans can learn more about game day, including parking information, maps, and the clear bag policy by visiting
RallyTheValley.com.
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