https://goutrgv.com/news/2019/2/23/womens-basketball-drops-close-game-to-new-mexico-state.aspx Feb. 23, 2019 – EDINBURG, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women’s basketball team fell 70-67 to New Mexico State University after leading for more than half of the game on Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Neither team led by more than eight points throughout the game as New Mexico State scored 24 points in the third quarter to take the lead for good. Redshirt senior Madison Northcutt paved the way for UTRGV (14-12, 8-5 WAC) with her ninth double-double of the season by scoring a game-high 21 points and grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Amara Graham added a career-high 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting. New Mexico State (20-6, 12-1 WAC) got 20 points and seven rebounds from Brooke Salas while Gia Pack scored 17 points with five assists. Monique Mills added 12 points with five steals. UTRGV jumped out to its biggest lead of the night after Graham made a free throw to make it 11-5 with 5:05 left in the first quarter. Junior Megan Johnson converted on a pair of free throws that made it 14-9 in favor of UTRGV with 1:08 left in the quarter. Graham opened up the scoring in the second with a layup as UTRGV extended its lead to 16-11 but a three-pointer from Mills got New Mexico State within 16-14. Later in the second, senior Krisynthia Sampson knocked down a jumper to make it 20-15 UTRGV with 6:50 left in the half. New Mexico State tied the game at 22-22 after Pack converted on a three-point play with 3:44 left in the half but UTRGV closed out the half with four straight points after senior Idil Türk made a layup and senior Jameka Dowell made a pair of free throws giving them the 30-25 lead heading into halftime. New Mexico State opened the third with an 8-2 run to take the 33-32 lead after Salas scored six of those eight points. Later in the third, Northcutt gave UTRGV the 34-33 lead at the 5:49 mark but Mills answered right back with a jumper to give New Mexico State the lead once again. UTRGV answered with a 6-0 run capped by a three-pointer by Graham to give them the 40-35 lead with 3:44 left to play in the quarter but back-to-back three-pointers by New Mexico State erased that lead. There were seven ties and four lead changes throughout the third as New Mexico State took the 49-47 lead into the fourth. UTRGV stayed within range throughout the fourth quarter but couldn’t get closer than 53-51 after a Northcutt layup with 7:29 left to play. UTRGV will be back in action on Thursday, February 28, when it hosts Chicago State University at 7 p.m. at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.