SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas – Jadyn Pimentel scored 22 points to help the Roadrunners defeat the Vaqueros 66-59 Friday evening at the UTRGV South Padre Island Classic.
Pimentel scored the first points of the game just 15 seconds in to put the Roadrunners on the board. UTRGV then hit a 6-0 run to take the lead. Elyssa Coleman tied the game (6-6) at the 6:59 mark. The Vaqueros went on a 7-1 run to regain the lead (13-7), but the Roadrunners hit a scoring surge and finished the quarter on a 7-0 run to lead 17-14.
UTSA kept the momentum going in the second as it opened with back-to-back 3-pointers from Pimentel and Charlene Mass to put the Roadrunners on an 8-0 run and lead 25-14 with 8:25 remaining. By the 6:15 mark, UTSA had outscored UTRGV 10-3 to lead by 10 (27-17). The game then became a battle for the ball as the Vaqueros scored two more points than the Roadrunners (10-8) to close the gap to eight (35-27) at the break.
Coming out of the locker room, Pimentel made a 3-pointer to push the lead to 11 (38-27). The Roadrunners hit another short run to lead 40-27 with 8:05 remaining. UTSA continued to find the basket as they outscored the Vaqueros 17-11 to lead 52-38 going to the fourth.
In the final 10 minutes, UTRGV opened the quarter on an 8-3 run to close the gap (55-46). The Roadrunners were able to extend the lead back to 10 (61-51) with 1:12 remaining. In the final minute, the teams battled it out in free throws, but UTSA help onto the lead until the final buzzer to clinch the game.
Notes
- UTSA improves to 3-6 overall
- Starters: Jadyn Pimentel, Elena Blanding, Queen Ulabo, Charlene Mass, Lapraisjah Johnson
- Jadyn Pimentel scored a team-high 22 points, her Roadrunner career high
- The Roadrunners are on a two-game winning streak
-UTSA-