Texans Suffer First Slide of Season with Loss to UTRGV

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – For the first time this season, Tarleton has lost consecutive games following Saturday’s 64-58 loss against UTRGV at home.

Entering the contest, the Texans were 7-0 in games after losses in 2022. That perfect mark is no more with the loss at Wisdom Gym, falling to 12-9 overall, 4-6 in WAC play. The Vaqueros improved to 8-12, 4-4 in the conference.

Nya Mitchels stepped up in Seynabou Thiam’s absence with a team-high 13 points, adding four rebounds. It marked her second double-digit scoring game of the season, her first since Dec. 4 vs. Arlington Baptist (16 points).

Jenna Dick (11 points, 3-7 3PT, four assists) and Malaya Kendrick (10 points, 5-10 FG, six rebounds, four assists) joined Mitchels in double figures.

In front of a season-best crowd of 1,218 fans at Wisdom Gym, it was the Vaqueros who jumped out to the fast start, going up 8-0 in just over the first two minutes. The Texans responded with seven straight points to get right back in it. UTRGV led 15-9 after the opening frame.

UTRGV scored eight straight across the first and second quarters to go up 18-9 early in the frame. Once again, Tarleton responded, getting back within a point at 20-19 with two minutes left. During that span, almost eight minutes of game play, Tarleton allowed just two points by UTRGV. The Vaqueros led 24-21 at the break.

After a back-and-forth start to the third quarter, the Texans took their first lead of the day on a Dick three-pointer with 6:03 left in the frame to go up 32-30. When it was 36-34 Texans, UTRGV busted out an 11-2 run before the third quarter ended in their favor, 45-40.

Consecutive three-pointers by Jurnee President and Dick put the Texans up a point a few minutes into the fourth quarter. The game was essentially up for grabs the entirety of the final frame. UTRGV led 57-55 with just under a minute to go and possession. As the shot clock was about to expire, Taylor Muff threw up a prayer from the top of the three-point line and sank it. It proved to be the backbreaker, the beginning of a 7-0 run to ice the game.

UTRGV’s Sara Bershers led all scorers with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, adding six rebounds. Muff poured in 11 points, to go with seven rebounds and two steals. KaCee Kyle had 10 points and three rebounds.

The Texans won the turnover battle 16-11, but they were outshot (.463 to .396) and outrebounded (38-28).

Tarleton starts a three-game road trip on Saturday at Chicago State at 1 p.m. CT. They don’t play at home for two weeks, against that same Chicago State team on Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. CT.