The UTRGV women’s basketball team defeated the Tarleton State Texans 61-57 on Saturday at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville for its second-straight victory.
The Vaqueros (4-13, 3-5 WAC), who have now won three of their last four games, were led by junior Kade Hackerott as she finished with 12 points and five rebounds. Junior Iyana Dorsey finished with nine points and four steals. Junior Tierra Trotter scored seven points with three rebounds and senior Mele Kailahi also added seven points with three rebounds.
The Texans (4-12, 1-6 WAC) were led by Jakoriah Long who finished with 17 points and five rebounds. Tyler Jackson added nine points with six rebounds and Angel Bigovic scored eight points with seven rebounds.
The Texans opened the scoring with a 3-pointer but the Vaqueros answered with an 8-0 run as Dorsey converted a three-point play, Hackerott knocked down a jumper, and junior Arianna Sturdivant hit a 3-pointer to force a timeout.
Later in the quarter, freshman Jayda Holiman knocked down a 3-pointer and senior Zariah Sango made a layup to push UTRGV’s lead to 15-7 with 3:37 left to play in the first. Sango and Holiman were at it again for the Vaqueros as Sango made a jumper and Holiman made a layup that made it 19-9 Vaqueros.
The Texans mounted a comeback at the start of the second with a 7-1 run capped by a Turrubiates 3-pointer to give Tarleton State the 21-20 lead. O’Keefe kick started an 8-2 run to close out the half with a layup and then senior Mele Kailahi, Hackerott and O’Keefe made two free throws each as UTRGV took a 33-27 lead into halftime.
Field goals were at a premium in the third quarter, but the Vaqueros used their opportunities at the free throw line to maintain their lead. After a 3-pointer from the Texans, the Vaqueros went on a 6-0 run with Hackerott knocking down a pair of free throws followed by a layup from graduate student Ashton McCorry and capped by a pair of free throws from junior Tierra Trotter making it 39-30. Dorsey closed out the quarter with a layup and a pair of free throws to push UTRGV’s lead to 43-34.
Dorsey opened the scoring in the fourth with a layup that gave UTRGV their biggest lead up to that point at 45-34. The Texans and the Vaqueros exchanged a pair of buckets through much of the quarter before the Texans put together an 8-0 to get within 55-51 with just under two minutes to go.
The Vaqueros got a couple of buckets from Kailahi and Trotter to push their lead back to 59-51 with a minute to go as they held on the rest of the way for the win.
The Vaqueros will be back in action at 1 p.m. Thursday, January 25 as they visit California Baptist at the Fowler Events Center in Riverside, California.
