RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The Southland Conference (SLC) announced the 2026 Southland Women's Basketball All-Conference teams and superlatives Friday and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball team had junior guard
Jalayah Ingram and senior forward
Charlotte O'Keefe make the All-Conference First Team while Ingram also tabbed Newcomer of the Year honors and O'Keefe made the All-Defensive Team.
Ingram, a transfer from McClennan Community College and product of Pearland, Texas, was a gamechanger for UTRGV. Through 20 complete league games, Ingram led the team was second in the conference averaging 17.1 points per game (PPG). The electric point guard facilitates the No. 3 scoring offense in the SLC and ranks third averaging 4.3 assists per game (APG). Ingram has dished out 119 assists so far this season, tying the sixth-most in a season in program history.
Ingram's athleticism and determined play shines in her ability to get to the hoop. She leads the conference and is top 5 in the nation in free throw makes (172) and attempts (218), setting new program single-season records in both. She is shooting 79% from the free throw line and 40% from the field. Additionally, Ingram has turned into one of the top rebounders in the conference. She ranks fourth in the Southland averaging 7.8 rebounds per game (RPG) in conference action and is third averaging 5.52 defensive RPG. She has recorded six double-doubles with five of those coming in conference games.
Ingram has tabbed single-game bests of 31 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, five steals and four blocks in her debut season at UTRGV and the Div. I level. She made 13-of-17 free throws in a game at Lamar, which is the most in a single-game among SLC players this season. Ingram dropped 20+ points in eight conference games and has scored 493 total points this season, ranking seventh in program history for single-season scoring.
O'Keefe earns her second consecutive Southland All-Conference nod and All-Defensive Team spot. She was a three-time SLC Player of the Week in 2025-26. The team captain from Overland Park, Kansas leads the Southland in five stat categories and is ranked in the top 10 in the nation in five season stats and two career stats – the most of any player in the Southland.
O'Keefe is the only player in the Southland averaging a double-double this season – which was true last season, too – as she's contributing 14.2 RPG and 12.8 PPG. She has 14 total double-doubles with 10 coming in conference action, including a 20/20 game in a victory over Southeastern in which O'Keefe scored 22 points with 22 rebounds. She scored 20+ points in three conference games and had 15+ rebounds in 11.
The senior forward tallied 202 defensive rebounds and 31 blocks in 19 conference games, ranking first and second in the conference. She recorded at least one block in 16 of her 19 SLC games and had steals in 14 contests. She anchored the No. 5 scoring defense in the league and helped the Vaqueros to a conference-best field goal percentage defense. Her ability to break up plays, post up one-on-one, and dominate the boards to prevent teams from getting extra possessions helped the Vaqueros limit opponents to 61.5 PPG in SLC action.
O'Keefe is second in the nation in RPG, third in defensive RPG, sixth in total rebounds, seventh in offensive RPG, 10
th in minutes per game and 17
th in double-doubles – leading the SLC in all categories. She is fourth among all active Div. I women's players in career rebounds and rebounding average. This season, O'Keefe surpassed 1,000 rebounds and points for her career, becoming the only woman in program history to reach such a milestone. She is fourth in SLC history in career double-doubles and seventh in career rebounds.
The #4 Vaqueros will compete in the SLC Basketball Championships starting Tuesday at 11 a.m. in a quarterfinals game at Townsley Law Arena in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
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