Women’s Basketball Defeated by Lamar

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women’s basketball team was defeated by the Lamar (LU) Cardinals 69-44 on Saturday in a Southland Conference game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.

Graduate student Kade Hackerott led the Vaqueros (4-6, 1-1 SLC) by scoring 10 points, grabbing five rebounds, and dishing a team-high four assists. Freshman Gianna Angiolet also scored 10 points while dishing three assists and recording a team-high two steals.

Jacei Denley led the Cardinals (5-3, 1-0 SLC) with a game-high 18 points while adding two rebounds and two assists. Kamryn Wilson scored 12 points while R’Mani Taylor scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds.

The Vaqueros struggled to break the press from the Cardinals in the first which led to an early 15-2 lead. Junior Charlotte O’Keefe stopped the run with an and-one layup and freshman Madison Huhn drilled a buzzer-beating midrange jumper to help the Vaqueros close the first on a 5-0 run.

Hackerott kept the run going in the second half with a layup off a nice entrance pass from Angiolet. The Cardinals responded with a 10-2 run to take a 25-11 lead. Both teams exchanged baskets as the Cardinals entered the half with 30-17 lead.

The Cardinals pushed their lead to 44-17 early in the half before the Vaqueros responded with back-to-back 3-pointers by Angiolet and freshman Kayla Lorenz which fueled an 18-6 run to close the third quarter. The run featured a three-pointer and a floater from Lorenz and a three-pointer from Hackerott and Huhn that brought them within 15 at the end of the third.

The Cardinals outscored the Vaqueros 19-9 in the final frame to put the game away.

Up next, the Vaqueros will host the UTRGV Holiday Classic, a four-team multiple team event featuring Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Kansas City, and Eastern Michigan. The Vaqueros will take on Eastern Michigan in their first matchup on Dec. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.

Fans that bring a new or gently used coat on Dec. 19 will receive free admission. All other fans can purchase tickets at UTRGVTickets.com. A clear bag policy is in place for all fans at UTRGV facilities. Fans can watch domestically on ESPN+ or internationally via Southland International.