The UTRGV women’s basketball team made a season-high 13 3-pointers to defeat the Utah Valley Wolverines 69-59 for their third straight victory Tuesday at the UCCU Center in Orem, Utah.
Junior Tiffany McGarity led UTRGV (12-16, 6-11 WAC) with 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting, making three 3-pointers. Sophomore Iyana Dorsey finished with 12 points on 3-of-6 from 3-point range and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. Junior Mele Kailahi scored 10 points with a couple of 3s and a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.
Utah Valley (6-22, 3-14 WAC) was led by Kaylee Byon, who scored 18 points with four assists. Shay Fano and Tessa Chaney each added 13 points.
The Vaqueros came out on fire during the first quarter and took an 11-2 lead after a layup from McGarity. After the Wolverines got a bucket, Dorsey knocked down a 3-pointer and then Kailahi knocked down a pair of free throws before sophomore Arianna Sturdivant hit a 3-pointer to make it 19-4, which was one of four made by UTRGV in the first.
During the second quarter, the Vaqueros got more 3-pointers to extend their lead. Sophomore KaCee Kyle opened the scoring with a 3-pointer and then Sturdivant knocked down another before graduate student Ashton McCorry made it 33-15 with a 3 of her own. McGarity hit a 3 with 4:34 left in the half to push the score to 38-16, and Dorsey made UTRGV’s eighth 3-pointer of the half to make it 44-26.
It was more of the same for UTRGV at the start of the second half as back-to-back 3-pointers from McGarity and Kailahi extended its lead to 51-30. The Wolverines put together an 11-2 run to get within 53-43, but UTRGV answered with a 7-0 run to close out the third after a layup from McCorry, a 3-pointer from junior Halie Jones and a layup from freshman Charlotte O’Keefe.
The Vaqueros will be back in action at 8 p.m. Thursday to close out the regular season against California Baptist.