EDINBURG – The UTSA women's basketball team fell to UTRGV, 70-58, at UTRGV Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon. Seniors Crystal Chidomere and Carlie Heineman managed 24 and 15 points, respectively, but the Roadrunners' second-half performance fell short in the loss.
Sophomore Tija Hawkins led the Roadrunners (2-6) with a game-best eight rebounds while also chipping in seven points. Sophomore Timea Toth added seven rebounds and totaled a game-high five steals while Heineman managed a squad-high four assists.
Overall, UTSA pulled down 42 boards and shot 33.9 percent (21-of-62) from the field while the Vaqueros shot 42.6 percent (26-of-61) from the field and managed 39 rebounds. The difference came as UTSA committed 15 turnovers, including 10 in the second half and forced just nine by UTRGV.
The Roadrunners and the Vaqueros opened the game with four ties. With the first quarter knotted at 12, UTSA broke away with a three-pointer from Heineman. UTSA utilized the momentum to extend its lead with a 12-3 run including a second three-pointer from Heineman The Roadrunners ended the quarter with a 24-15 advantage.
Three minutes into the second quarter, the Vaqueros cut the lead to six on a three-pointer from Quynne Huggins. The Roadrunners answered with an 8-0 run, featuring a pair of three-pointers from freshman Karrington Donald and Heineman, to push the lead to 34-21 with four minutes left in the stanza.
Following a layup from senior Billie Marlow, the Roadrunners ignited for a 5-0 run. UTSA cushioned its lead with stifling defense as it held the Vaqueros to just four points in the final minutes and took a 41-28 advantage into the half.
The Roadrunners opened the second half with back-to-back three pointers from Heineman and freshman Tasharian Robinson, before UTRGV staged a 7-2 run propelled by a three pointer from Huggins. The offensive push from the Vaqueros cut the UTSA lead to five, 53-48, by the end of the quarter.
The Vaqueros only built on their momentum as they ignited for 14 unanswered points in the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter. The Roadrunners battled back with four shots from the charity stripe, but at the final horn, UTSA fell by the 12-point margin.
The contest marked the Roadrunners' second away game of a five-game road swing and the end of the UTRGV Battle on the Border tournament. Chidomere, Heineman and Hawkins were named to the all-tournament team.
UTSA will be back in action on Tuesday as the squad travels to San Marcos to take on I-35 rival Texas State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Live stats will be available at goUTSA.com.
