The UTRGV women’s basketball team dropped a Western Athletic Conference road game 76-42 against the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks on Thursday at Johnson Coliseum in Nacogdoches.
Sophomore Iyana Dorsey led the Vaqueros (8-14, 2-9 WAC) with 12 points and two steals. Junior Tiffany McGarity scored 10 points with three rebounds and a pair of steals, and sophomore Deborah Ogayemi added eighth points with five rebounds and two blocks.
Stephen F. Austin (20-4, 10-2 WAC) had three players in double figures, with Aiyana Johnson leading the way with 18 points and seven rebounds. Zoe Nelson recorded a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Jordan Harrison scored 13 points with six assists.
The Ladyjacks got off to a 9-4 lead after a layup by Johnson, but a layup by freshman Charlotte O’Keefe got UTRGV within 9-6. Later in the quarter, junior Halie Jones knocked down a 3-pointer that cut into SFA’s lead at 13-9, but the Ladyjacks closed out the first on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 20-9.
The Vaqueros answered right before the half with a 15-5 run as McGarity led the way by scoring eight of her 10 points, getting UTRGV within 36-28.
The Ladyjacks answered with a 14-4 run to start the second half, pushing their lead 52-32. Dorsey and Ogayemi combined to close out the third with a 6-0 run on a couple of layups and a jumper to get within 52-38.
That’s as close as the Vaqueros got as the Ladyjacks scored the first 17 points of the fourth to put the game out of reach.
The UTRGV women’s basketball team is back in action at 4 p.m. Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg to take on Abilene Christian. The UTRGV men’s basketball team will follow the women’s team with a 6:30 p.m. tipoff against Stephen F. Austin. Tickets can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com.