The UTRGV women’s basketball team faced the No. 5 Texas Longhorns in front of a program-record 6,591 fans Wednesday at Bert Ogden Arena, falling 104-51.
It is the largest crowd to watch a women’s basketball game ever in the Valley. UTRGV was within 83 spectators of tying the hoops attendance record in the RGV set in 2022 when UTRGV men’s basketball hosted a doubleheader with Texas at Bert Ogden Arena, drawing 6,674 fans.
“First of all, we want to thank Coach Vic (Schaefer) and the Texas Longhorns for making this happen for us. This has been about two years in the making,” UTRGV head coach Lane Lord said. “We helped him out a couple years ago during COVID and he promised he’d bring his team down here. It’s very hard to get a Power 5 team, especially a top five team in the country to play at a Mid-Major, so for him to do that for us is just amazing. Our fans came out, we broke the attendance record, and what a night for us. It was awesome. It was neat to be a part of.”
Junior Iyana Dorsey led UTRGV (0-10, 0-2 Western Athletic Conference) with 19 points, going 10-for-10 at the free throw line. Sophomore Charlotte O’Keefe scored 11 with a career-high trio of three-pointers and a season-high tying three blocks, also notching two steals. Junior Kade Hackerott added 10 points with seven free throws, seven rebounds, and five assists.
Texas (12-0) saw seven players score double digits, including four with one dozen points each in Rori Harmon, Shaylee Gonzales, Aaliyah Moore and DeYona Gaston. Moore also tabbed a game-high nine rebounds and Harmon dished out eight assists while snatching three steals.
“I would love to come down here again. The support tonight warrants it,” Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said. “I think the folks here did a great job in marketing it and having people here, so again, I have a real appreciation for this part of Texas and appreciate everybody coming out.”
The Longhorns opened up a 9-0 lead to start the contest, but the Vaqueros showed good fight as they settled in against one of the best teams in the nation. O’Keefe shined particularly bright, battling down low against the size of Texas and coming up with three blocks in the opening quarter. Dorsey got the UTRGV offense going.
Texas went on a 10-0 run midway through the first frame, but graduate student Ashton McCorry ended the streak with a big three-pointer to fire up the crowd and her team. Junior Arianna Sturdivant followed with a great hustle play, racing into the fray to grab a rebound on her own miss and cashing in with a layup to get UTRGV within 26-11 at the end of the quarter.
After showing off her defensive skillset in the first, O’Keefe drew loud cheers from the crowd with her smooth shooting from behind the arc in the second quarter. She read the Texas defense to know she’d have space as Hackerott started setting up a play and called for the ball, then drilled a three-pointer.
The Longhorns went on an 8-0 run to force a UTRGV timeout, and after the break, O’Keefe sparked her team by hitting a quick-release three. Dorsey showed her electric skills and shook off a defender before knocking down a jumper from the top of the key, then made a pair of free throws. Dorsey, Sturdivant and Hackerott kept the Vaqueros battling but the efficient offense of Texas opened up a 55-24 lead at halftime.
Texas came out of halftime on fire, outscoring the Vaqueros 16-5 in the first five minutes of the third quarter behind the engine of Harmon. The physicality and speed of the Longhorns kept UTRGV in check in the third frame, but the Vaqueros continued to push and play tough. They found their way to the free throw line and hustled hard, and O’Keefe drained her career-high third three-pointer in the final minute of the quarter.
The Longhorns kept their foot on the pedal throughout the fourth quarter, but so did UTRGV. O’Keefe, playing with a significant size disadvantage, continued to muscle her way to produce in the paint and made a nice layup. Dorsey added a three-pointer and continued to drive hard to the basket. Hackerott banged home a three in the final minute of the contest.
Texas hit four three-pointers in the final quarter to extend the lead and control the contest to the end, shooting 54.9% from the field while holding the Vaqueros to 29.2% shooting. The Longhorns out-rebounded UTRGV 49-21.
The Vaqueros will play one final game in 2023 at 2 p.m. on Dec. 30 at Sam Houston.
