RIO GRANDE VALLEY – Junior Tiffany McGarity scored a career-high 30 points to lead The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women’s basketball team to a 75-71 homecoming victory over the Abilene Christian University Wildcats on Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.

McGarity went a career-high tying 9-for-12 from the field, including a season-high 3-for-3 from behind the arc, plus a career-high 9-for-11 from the line with four rebounds, two assists and a season-high tying two steals for the Vaqueros (9-14, 3-9 WAC). Junior Mele Kailahi scored 14 points with four rebounds. Junior Jena’ Williams scored nine points with a season-high six assists. Sophomore Arianna Sturdivant hit a pair of 3-pointers for six points. Sophomore Deborah Ogayemi finished with six points and three rebounds. Sophomore Iyana Dorsey scored six points with two steals. Freshman Charlotte O’Keefe scored four points with eight rebounds, three assists, a career-high tying two steals and three blocks.

Addison Martin led the Wildcats (11-13, 5-8 WAC) with 25 points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Aspen Thornton scored 15 points with five assists. Maleeah Langstaff scored 15 points with three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Madi Miller scored eight points with three assists.

The Wildcats jumped out to a 19-11 lead. Williams and Kailahi closed the first quarter with baskets to make the score 19-15, but the Wildcats pushed back, scoring the first five points of the second quarter to go up 24-15.

That’s when McGarity took over. The Vaqueros scored the next 12 points as part of a 19-2 run to take a 34-26 lead. McGarity scored 10 points during the run including a 3-pointer, two layups and three free throws.

The Wildcats opened the third quarter on a 9-3 run to pull within 39-38. McGarity took over again, scoring 12 points to power a 16-4 run to put the Vaqueros up 55-42. During the run, McGarity hit a 3-pointer, three layups and three free throws.

The Wildcats scored the next nine points, but Kailahi ended the quarter with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer and Dorsey sunk a pair of free throws to start the fourth to put the Vaqueros up 60-51.

The Vaqueros still led by nine at 64-55 when the Wildcats used a 6-0 run to pull within one possession. McGarity responded with a 3-pointer to make the score 67-61with 1:39 remaining. Then, after a Martin layup, McGarity hit a turnaround jumper to put the Vaqueros up 69-63 with 37.4 seconds left. McGarity and Williams each followed with three free throws to put the game on ice.

UTRGV visits Southern Utah on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Fans can watch domestically on ESPN+ or internationally via WAC International.