Junior Jordan Lewis scored a career-high 31 points to lead The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women’s basketball team to an 84-74 victory over the Seattle University Redhawks on Friday at the Redhawk Center for its first Western Athletic Conference win of the season.
The win snaps the Vaqueros’ (5-9, 1-4 WAC) seven-game losing streak.
Lewiswent a career-best 12-of-14 from the floor while going perfect 7-of-7 from three-point range. Sophomore Sara Bershers scored 14 points with five rebounds and five assists. Graduate student Amara Graham added 12 points with a career-high nine assists and six rebounds while sophomore Jena’ Williams scored 10 points with five assists.
The Redhawks (10-9, 5-4 WAC) were led by Bree Calhoun, who scored 23 points with 10 assists. McKenzi Williamsscored 14 points whileIrena Korolenko added 12 points.
The Vaqueros trailed 9-4 early in the first quarter but a 10-0 run helped UTRGV gain control of the game in the first half. Graham kicked off the run with a three-pointer while Williams capped it with a fast break layup giving UTRGV the 14-9 lead.
In the second quarter, UTRGV pushed its lead to 28-14 after putting together a 6-0 run as Lewis knocked down a layup at 7:57 to cap the run. Seattle U climbed back into the game with a 6-0 run that got them within 34-30 but the Vaqueros answered back with a layup from sophomore Sydney Cajeroand a three-pointer from Lewis, who finished the first half with 16 points, making it 39-30.
Seattle U got within 45-40 after a three-pointer from Calhoun but a three-pointer from Bershers pushed UTRGV’s lead back to 48-40 with 8:00 left in the third.
After the Redhawks answered back with a three-pointer the Vaqueros went on a 9-0 that was highlighted by six-straight points from Lewis and another three-pointer from Bershers, which made it 57-43.
Seattle U got a three-pointer from Williams to get within 62-55 but UTRGV got a three-pointer from Lewis to close out the quarter and then opened the fourth with a three-pointer from Williams and another three-pointer from Lewis to make it 71-55 putting the game out of reach.
The Vaqueros and Redhawks will wrap up their two-game series on Saturday with tip-off slated for 5 p.m. at the Redhawk Center.
