Vaqueros rally past Ladyjacks for first Southland win

EDINBURG — The UTRGV women’s basketball team made a splash in its Southland Conference debut by taking down Stephen F. Austin 78-72 on Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg.

The Vaqueros (4-5, 1-0 SLC) were feeling it from beyond the arc going 13-of-27 from 3 to rally past a Ladyjacks (7-2, 0-1 SLC) team that had suffered only one loss prior to Saturday’s defeat.

“I’m just so proud of our group. We had a rough couple of games scoring the basketball here at home and we just came to play today,” UTRGV head coach Lane Lord said. “(SFA) is one of the best mid-major teams and definitely in the Southland Conference. This was a huge win for our program and I’m just so happy for the players that really made the sacrifice this week to get better.”

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley forward Charlotte O’Keefe (1) and Stephen F. Austin University forward Trinity Moore (33) battle for position under the net in a Southland Conference game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

UTRGV put together a 14-0 run during the fourth quarter to outscore SFA 22-11 over the final 10 minutes to pull off the comeback win. UTRGV junior post Charlotte O’Keefe knocked down a 3-point dagger from the top of the key to give the Vaqueros a 75-70 lead with 1:25 remaining.

“I just have confidence in myself and my abilities. She gave me a lot of space and I took it,” O’Keefe said about her late 3-pointer.

She recorded her third double-double of the year with 11 points and 15 boards, while freshman forward Kayla Lorenz and graduate student guard Kade Hackerott both finished with a team-high 17 points for UTRGV. Freshman guard Gianna Angiolet added 15 points with five assists, four rebounds and three steals.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley guard Kade Hackerott (5) aims for the basket against Stephen F. Austin University in a Southland Conference game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Lorenz, a freshman from Seattle, Washington, provided a spark in her second start of the season with 5-of-10 shooting from 3-point range while also pulling down eight rebounds. She knocked down four of her five 3s during the first half and another during the fourth quarter to help put the Vaqueros over the top.

“It’s really special to be able to have such an important role as a freshman. I love playing with these girls,” Lorenz said. “It’s been amazing and I’m just excited to start conference play.”

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley celebrates court side during a timeout in a Southland Conference game against Stephen F. Austin University at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Ashlyn Traylor-Walker led SFA with a team-high 18 points and Trinity Moore added 14.

Next for UTRGV is another Southland Conference matchup against Lamar at 2 p.m. next Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg.

“We’re in a brand new league with brand new teams. Of course we know Stephen F. Austin, they came from the WAC with us, so I think we’re 4-3 against them now and we’ve had some battles the last two or three years,” Lord said. “It’s just a huge win for us, first win in the Southland Conference, to go 1-0. We got two of the best three teams the first week of the season so we’re excited to be in the Southland.”

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