EDINBURG, Texas – Despite overcoming a 16-point deficit to tie it in regulation, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team fell just short of the comeback as UTRGV held on 68-65 in overtime on Tuesday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
The game was the first of two meeting this season as part of the South Texas Showdown, presented by NavyArmy Community Credit Union, an annual rivalry series in which A&M-Corpus Christi and UTRGV compete against each other in 12 sports. The Islanders lead the yearly series 5-1 as an institution but trail this year now 16-9 with each game counting as three points and one awarded for attendance.
The Islanders (2-5) were down 36-24 at the intermission before coming out hot in the second half to shoot 72.7 percent from the field in the fourth quarter and tie the game at 57 by the end of regulation. In overtime, A&M-Corpus Christi went up 64-62 at the 2:09 mark, but UTRGV went on to score six of the final seven points to edge out the win.
A&M-Corpus Christi outshot UTRGV from the field, but the Vaqueros took advantage at the free throw line where they scored 22 of their points.
Nine Islanders netted a field goal with three scoring in double figures, including junior
Violeta Verano who came alive in the second part of the game to score all 14 of her points. Redshirt senior
Makinna Serrata knocked in 13 points while junior
Paige Allen came off the bench to earn her first double digit scoring game this season with 11 points.
Senior
Alecia Westbrook grabbed 10 rebounds, her third game this season with 10+ rebounds. She contributed six points, as did sophomore
Jaeda Whitner who sunk two long-range goals against the Vaqueros in her first career start for the Islanders.
UTRGV only had six different players put up points, but Iyana Dorsey was the game changer for the Vaqueros as she poured in 30 points. She netted four goals from long-range and made 14 free throws.
The opening quarter had UTRGV hot out of the gate, going up 12-5 after three long-range shots. The jumper by Allen at the 1:30 mark tried to spark something in the Islanders, but a 21-9 score with the Vaqueros on top closed the first.
Serrata fired a three at 9:42 in the second quarter to get the Islanders back within single figures, but the shots kept falling for UTRGV to maintain a comfortable 36-24 lead at the intermission.
The Islanders finally started threatening in the third as Whitner opened and closed the quarter with three-pointers to cut the deficit down to just four at 41-37.
Verano mimicked the previous two quarters and started the fourth off with a long-range sinker. Down 43-40 at the 7:45 mark, Westbrook drew the foul for the and-one, tying the game for the first time at 43-all after the made free throw. The steal and score by Allen at the 6:16 mark gave A&M-Corpus Christi its first lead of the day at 47-45, but the teams went down to the wire and ultimately ended regulation tied at 57.
UTRGV struck first in overtime and held a 62-59 lead with three minutes remaining. Verano's free throws and shot from beyond-the-arc reversed the score for a 64-62 A&M-Corpus Christi advantage at the 2:09 mark. The Islanders held on 65-64 with a minute remaining, but four free throws by the Vaqueros solidified the overtime 68-65 win for UTRGV.
Next, A&M-Corpus Christi and UTRGV will rematch each other in part two of the South Texas Showdown on Saturday in Corpus Christi. The game is set for 2 p.m. in the American Bank Center as the Islanders will look to extend its home-winning streak.
NOTES
- A&M-Corpus Christi still leads 27-17 all-time against UTRGV and 12-10 when the teams play in Edinburg.
- The Islanders shot .500 from the three-point line for the first time this season, and first since Jan. 11 against UIW.
- It was the first game this season that the Islanders outscored the opposition in the paint in a loss. A&M-Corpus Christi outscored UTRGV 30-20 in the paint.
- Whitner made her first career start for the Islanders and made two three-pointers. It was her third game this season to have scored multiple long-range goals.
- Serrata turned in her 36
th career double figure scoring game and fourth this season. She is averaging double figures with 10.6 ppg.
- Allen submitted her 17
th career double digit scoring game and first this season. She was 5-of-6 from the floor.
- Westbrook recorded her 29
th career double figure rebounding game and third this season. In the record book, she improved to fourth all-time in career rebounds with 665.
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