STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Down 12 with three minutes to play, Tarleton State mounted a late rally to get within a possession, but their comeback attempt just ran out of time against UTRGV.
 
The Texans (4-12, 1-6 WAC) split the season series 1-1 against the Vaqueros (4-13, 3-5 WAC) as UTRGV won 61-57 in Wisdom Gym on Saturday after Tarleton won 72-66 in Edinburg in December. The Texans have a season-long skid of five games, including six straight losses in Stephenville, while UTRGV has won three of their last four after starting the year 1-12.
 
At the 3:16 mark in the fourth quarter, UTRGV guard and former Texan Iyana Dorsey suffered an injury that caused a lengthy delay. Her sub, Tierra Trotter, split her free throws to put UTRGV up 12, 55-43. That's when the Texans started their rally that had the crowd in a frenzy. First, Jakoriah Long drove for a layup, then Andjela Bigovic stole the ball in the backcourt and nailed a three to make it a seven-point game. The Texans then forced another turnover in the backcourt, this time Nykesha Sanders with the steal, and Long got a three-pointer to go to make it a four-point game.
 
After UTRGV responded with a pair of buckets, Tyler Jackson sunk a three to get the Texans within five. The Vaqueros then split their free throws, and Long hit another three-pointer, this time putting the Texans back by just three. With all the momentum, the Texans just ran out of time, as the Vaqueros split their free throws and Tarleton came up empty on what would be their final possession.
 
Long scored 12 of her game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter, finishing 6-of-9 from the field overall, including 2-of-3 from distance, adding five rebounds and two assists. Bigovic, who didn't play in the first half, started the second half and immediately proved to be a difference maker for the Purple and White. She finished with eight points (3-5 FG, 2-4 3PT), seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in 15 minutes. Jackson totaled nine points (2-4 3PT), six rebounds and two assists. Elise Turrubiates tallied seven points and seven rebounds. Teresa Da Silva had seven points, three rebounds and three assists.
 
The Texans were lethal from distance, making 9-of-21 (.429) from three, but the Vaqueros got to the charity stripe 14 more times, finishing 19-of-26 (.731) from the free throw line to Tarleton's 8-of-12 (.667) mark. Overall, the Texans outshot the Vaqueros 20-of-54 (.370) to 19-of-54 (.352) and outrebounded them 39-36. UTRGV had four more takeaways (16-12).
 
To start the game, Jackson opened with a three-ball, but it was Tarleton's only made field goal for a five-minute stretch, as UTRGV went up 10-5 then 19-9. The Texans closed the first quarter with five unanswered to take a five-point deficit after one, 19-14.
 
The Vaqueros opened the second quarter with a free throw, then the Texans went on a 7-0 run to take back the lead, 21-20. The two teams traded buckets for a good while after that, then UTRGV had six late free throws to win the quarter by one and lead at the break 33-27.
 
The third quarter was a defensive treasure, with the teams combining to shoot 5-of-32 (.156), 1-of-10 (.100) from three. The Vaqueros had a 7-0 FTA advantage in the third, a quarter they won 10-7. Neither team scored for a four-minute stretch in the frame, and UTRGV led 43-34 entering the fourth.
 
The Texans shot 5-of-10 from three-point land in the fourth to give themselves a chance. Long made two, with BIgovic, Jackson and Turrubiates providing one each.
 
The Vaqueros were led by Kade Hackerott's 12 points (8-12 FT) and five rebounds. Dorsey had nine points and four steals.
 
The Texans will next make their first of two trips to Utah. They will take on the Southern Utah Thunderbirds in Cedar City on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. CT.