EDINBURG, Texas – The HBU's women's basketball team dropped a regular season game against the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros inside the UTRGV Fieldhouse Monday night.
 
The Huskies (3-6, 0-0 SLC) saw a huge game from N'Denasija Collins who recorded her second double-double of the season including season high in points scored. She finished the contest with 22 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and two steals while shooting 69.2 percent from the field (9-13 FG) and a perfect 3-3 from the foul line.  
 
The Vaqueros (2-5, 0-0 WAC) hit a three pointer on their opening possession and would hold the lead the remainder of the game. The Huskies kept it close in the first period, alternating baskets with the Vaqueros until Collins made an and-one layup with three minutes to play. UTRGV answered with a mini 5-0 run over the next minute and a half including a three pointer and mid-range jumper to take a 15-9 lead. Marilyn Nzoiwu scored the final five points of the quarter for the Huskies including three made free throws to cut into the Vaquero lead 18-15.
 
The Vaqueros opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run before a Collins and Abbey Sutherland combined for a 6-0 run of their own to cut the UTRGV lead down to just three. The Vaqueros answered with a layup before both teams went scoreless over the next three minutes. A Maria Llorente free throw with just under four minutes to play in the first half would kickstart a 10-4 Vaquero run to end the first half.
 
"I am disappointed in our attention to detail. We knew they were a better shooting team than they have shown in recent games and we gave up a transition three on their first possession," head coach Donna Finnie said. "We have to be tougher and we have to be much more disciplined than we have been to open the season."
 
The Huskies opened the third quarter on a 6-2 run over the first three minutes of the quarter, but good UTRGV defense kept the Huskies quiet from the floor the rest of the period. The Vaqueros ended the quarter on a 13-6 run before Julija Vujakovic hit a three with just over a minute left to cut the lead to nine points heading into the fourth.
 
The Huskies showed a lot of fight in the fourth quarter, picking up their defensive efforts and holding UTRGV to just 33 percent shooting in the quarter. The lead however was too bug to overcome for HBU. The Huskies made the most of their good looks, sinking six of the 13 shots they took including shooting 40 percent from deep. In the end however, the Vaqueros would walk away with a 67-58 win.
 
"It has been a tough stretch for us, but we will learn and get better as we go into conference play", Finnie concluded.
 
Nzoiwu earned her third double-double on the year scoring 10 points while setting a new season high in rebounds with 14. Vujakovic tied her second highest scoring output of the season with 12 points while Sutherland added eight and Kennedy Wilson added six.
 
UTRGV was led in scoring by Sara Bershers who dropped in 23 points and tallying eight rebounds and four assists. Jena Williams added 13 points and set a career high in three pointers made with four.
 
The Huskies return home on Saturday when they host Southwestern Assemblies of God on Saturday, tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Sharp Gym.