RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women’s basketball team outdueled the Eastern Michigan (EMU) Eagles Thursday to open the UTRGV Holiday Classic with a thrilling 73-66 overtime win at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
Graduate student Kade Hackerott led UTRGV’s (5-6, 1-1 Southland Conference) offense, scoring 18 points with five assists and eight rebounds. Junior forward Charlotte O’Keefe tabbed her fourth double-double with 17 rebounds and 10 points as she recorded her third game with 17+ rebounds this season. Senior guard Tierra Trotter scored a season-high 16 points and freshman guard Gianna Angiolet added 13 points and a career-high seven rebounds.
Mackenzie Amalia and Sisi Eleko both scored 18 points to lead Eastern Michigan (1-7, 0-0 Mid-Atlantic Conference). Eleko had a double-double with 17 rebounds.
The Vaqueros came out of the gate and dominated inside, whether it was cleaning up the boards or scoring on strong drives to the hoop. O’Keefe reeled in six rebounds in the first quarter as UTRGV racked up 18, including nine offensive rebounds that led to plenty of scoring opportunities. The Vaqueros led by as many as eight points and held a 17-11 advantage heading to the second quarter.
The second quarter was a more even affair. Eastern started knocking down three-pointers to close the gap, but UTRGV went 7-for-8 from the free throw line and got a three-pointer from Hackerott to hold a 33-30 lead at halftime. Both defenses upped the intensity in the second frame, holding their opponent scoreless for stretches.
Eastern took control in the third quarter, shooting 50% from the field while holding UTRGV to 27%. The Eagles outscored and outrebounded the Vaqueros in the frame and had a 48-43 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
Eastern’s scoring run extended to 11-0 and a 50-43 lead as the Eagles defense kept the Vaqueros off the scoreboard for over five minutes. UTRGV responded with a 5-0 run as O’Keefe produced a three point play with a strong layup finish through contact to make it a one possession game.
From there, the teams swapped baskets, ties and lead changes in a wild finish. Freshmen guards Kayla Lorenz and Angiolet nailed clutch shots to keep the Vaqueros fighting. Eastern wrangled a massive offensive rebound and jumped on top, 59-57, with six seconds on the clock.
UTRGV ran a halfcourt play for Trotter and the senior captain delivered, driving straight to the hoop and floating in the game-tying shot to force overtime at 59-59.
The first two minutes of overtime were all Vaqueros as Angiolet and Hackerott helped open up a 65-59 lead before Amalia drained a three-pointer for the Eagles. But UTRGV’s sharp shooting continued and the aforementioned duo created a 69-64 cushion. The Vaqueros milked the clock and forced EMU to foul, sending the home team to the charity stripe often, where they went 8-for-12 to put the win away.
The UTRGV Holiday Classic continues Friday with Eastern Michigan facing Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 4 p.m. and the Vaqueros taking on Kansas City at 6:30 p.m. at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Tickets can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com. A clear bag policy is in place for all fans at UTRGV facilities.
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