UTRGV Women's Basketball Rides Second Half Surge to Win Over Seattle U

GoUTRGV.com Feb. 10, 2022 – RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball team came back from a 12-point halftime deficit to beat the Seattle U Redhawks 68-60 on Thursday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Sophomore Sara Bershers led the Vaqueros (10-14, 6-6 WAC) with 20 points while hitting four 3-pointers to go with five rebounds, a season-high tying four assists and two blocks. Graduate student Taylor Muff scored 17 points. Freshman KaCee Kyle scored a career-high tying 14 points with five rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Halie Jones scored 15 points with a season-high tying eight rebounds, four assists and a career-high five steals. Bree Calhoun led the Redhawks (7-16, 2-10 WAC) with 14 points and five assists. Irene Korolenko scored 13 points. Georgia Kehoe finished with 11 points with five rebounds. After being outscored 31-19 and going 1-for-14 from behind the arc in the first half, the Vaqueros outscored the Redhawks 49-29 while going 9-for-18 from downtown in the second half. Bershers opened the third quarter with a 3 and Muff followed with a jumper. Then, with the Vaqueros down 38-27, Kyle hit back-to-back 3-pointers to bring the Vaqueros within five. The Vaqueros trailed 43-35 when Bershers hit four-straight baskets, including a trio of 3-pointers, to give the Vaqueros their first lead, 46-43, early in the fourth quarter. The Vaqueros and Redhawks traded baskets for a few minutes. Then, with the Redhawks up 55-52, sophomore Tiffany McGarity made a layup to spark a 7-0 run to give the Vaqueros the lead for good. Then, with the score 61-60, Muff banked in a three to put the game on ice. The Redhawks jumped out to an 8-2 lead before Muff hit a pair of free throws and the Vaqueros and Redhawks started trading baskets for the rest of the quarter. Kyle hit a three and Muff had a board and a bucket to start the second quarter, bringing the Vaqueros to within 14-13. After a pair of Redhawks baskets, Muff and Jones hit jumpers to bring the Vaqueros within 18-17. The Redhawks responded by scoring the next nine points as part of a 13-2 run over final 4:22 to take a 31-19 halftime lead. UTRGV hosts defending Western Athletic Conference Champion California Baptist on Saturday at 12 p.m. at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com. The party starts in the Schlotzsky’s Vaquero Village at 11 a.m. Those unable to attend the game in person can watch in the United States on ESPN+ or internationally on the WAC Digital Network.