THIBODAUX, La. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball team extended its season-long winning streak to five games with a comeback 69-66 victory over the Nicholls (NICH) Colonels Thursday in a Southland Conference (SLC) game at Stopher Gym.
UTRGV (14-9, 11-3 SLC) has won seven consecutive conference road games and nine of its last 10 games to tie the program record for conference wins in a season. Senior forward
Charlotte O'Keefe notched her ninth double-double with 17 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and four assists. She tied the program record with her 133
rd career block.
Junior guard
Jalayah Ingram scored 18 points with five rebounds and three assists. Sophomore guard
Gianna Angiolet made a career-high tying five three-pointers, going 5-for-6 from behind the arc, to score a season-high 15 points.
Sh'Diamond McKnight led Nicholls (10-11, 6-8 SLC) with 17 points and four steals.
Anyra Wilson scored 14 with two assists and
Jesslyn Jalomo added 11 points behind a pair of threes.
The teams started the game swapping baskets and scoring efficiently, including combining to make four three-pointers by the first media timeout. Angiolet and junior forward
Ivy Brown hit from deep to have UTRGV within 14-12 of the lead with three minutes remaining in what was a tight, fast-paced first quarter.
Nicholls controlled the close of the quarter on defense, forcing three UTRGV turnovers to anchor a 7-0 run. Sophomore guard
Kayla Lorenz knocked down a stepback three to end a two-minute scoring drought for the Vaqueros, but Nicholls held a 21-15 lead after the first 10.
Angiolet drilled two quick three-pointers to cut the UTRGV deficit to 25-23 early in the second quarter. Ingram swiped a steal to set up the second triple, then delivered with a strong drive to the hoop to keep UTRGV rolling.
The Vaqueros took their first lead since the opening minute as Lorenz hit her second three-pointer, set up by a solid offensive rebound from freshman forward
Elise Horne, to cap a crucial 7-0 run. O'Keefe added a three of her own, improving UTRGV's performance from behind the arc to 4-for-5 in the quarter, to make it 33-30. But a half-court heave at the buzzer from Jalomo sent the teams to the locker room knotted at 33-33.
Angiolet got the second half momentum rolling with another three. O'Keefe had a huge stretch where she recorded a layup, a block, a layup and another block in a one-minute stretch to give UTRGV a 40-38 lead. The Vaqueros played solid defense and prevented the Colonels from scoring from the field for six minutes in the quarter, but Nicholls was assisted by an influx of foul calls. The Colonels went 10-for-12 from the free throw line and closed the quarter on a 4-0 run after forcing a turnover to lead, 53-50, heading to the fourth.
The foul calls continued to go in Nicholls's favor early in the fourth as it scored its first five points at the line to lead by as many as five. But Ingram and O'Keefe took over late to lift UTRGV to victory.
Ingram showcased her skills with two great drives to the hoop to trim the deficit to one. O'Keefe powered through the paint and rolled in a layup for the 62-60 lead late in the game, then snatched a key offensive rebound that led to Angiolet's fifth three-pointer. Ingram added a pull-up jumper to extend the lead to 67-62, giving the Vaqueros all the momentum needed to hold off the late push from the Colonels.
UTRGV will play its third consecutive SLC road game Saturday at 1 p.m. at New Orleans.
