HOUSTON – HCU women's basketball dropped a non-conference matchup 68-51 against in-state foe UTRGV Thursday night in Sharp Gym. Houston Christian University (HCU), formerly Houston Baptist University (HBU), underwent a name change in September 2022.
 
HCU (3-3) could not find their rhythm offensively to start the first quarter, making just one of their first eight shots, getting behind 13-3 early. Following a pair of Kennedy Wilson free throws at the 4:11 mark, Lauryn Mapusua and Abbey Sutherland combined for seven consecutive HCU points cutting the UTRGV (4-3) lead to just six, 18-12 heading to the second.
 
HCU came out strong shooting in the second quarter, however a barrage of three pointers from the Vaqueros nixed any run the Huskies could start. The hot shooting continued throughout the quarter for UTRGV as they took a 42-26 lead into halftime.
 
HCU played strong defense in the second half and held the Vaqueros to just 27 points, however the lead they built was too much for the Huskies to overcome as they fell 68-51. As a team HCU was able to force 16 turnovers in the contest.
 
Sutherland packed the stat sheet and had her first double-double of the season finishing with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. Julija Vujakovic led the Huskies in scoring with 12 points and was tied with Wilson for the team high in assists with three. Enya Maguire and Jo Oly combined for 12 points off the bench.
 
Charlotte O'Keefe had a big night for UTRGV scoring 13 points and gathering 11 boards. Iyana Dorsey finished with 21 points while Deborah Ogayemi narrowly missed a double-double with 11 points and eight boards.
 
Women's basketball returns to action this weekend when they travel to Waco to face the 21st ranked Baylor Bears Sunday afternoon.