Box Score SAN ANGELO, Texas – Antoinette Shrepee and Brynae Thompson both set career-highs in scoring, but the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball fell just short against the Angelo State Rams, 72-61, on Tuesday night in San Angelo, Texas at Stephens Arena.
Shrepee's 17 points were the second-most by a Javelina player in a game this season, surpassed only by Angelica Wilson's 18 against Eastern New Mexico on Jan. 18th. Thompson racked up 14 points while shooting four-of-five from beyond the arc.
As a team the Javs shot 50% from three-point range. They also outrebounded the Rams, 38-32, and totaled 40 points off the bench.
FIRST QUARTER
Ekiya Gray put the Rams on the board after nearly a minute of scoreless basketball and Sadie Russell scored the first points for TAMUK 30 seconds later. Russell soon added a trey, but a three-point play by Madi Greenwood tied the score at 5-5. Greenwood added two more to her total a minute later, giving ASU a lead that was extended to 10-5 when Dezirae Hampton connected from beyond the arc. Russell hit her third bucket of the night with 3:27 to play in the period and it was quickly matched by De'Anira Moore. A free throw by Angelica Wilson brought the Hoggies to within four, but Hampton's second basket put the deficit at six. Two more points courtesy of Greenwood put the teams eight points apart.
SECOND QUARTER
The first points of the second came on a three by Gray, lifting ASU up by double-digits for the first time, 19-8. A foul shot by Gray put the score at 20-8 before Ope Ibrahim tossed in a jumper , only to see Mikayla Blount come back with a triple. The Rams' run reached 12-2 when Greenwood added a foul shot before Tatyana McFarland hit a jump shot for the Javelinas.
Four more points for the home team put them in front by 16, but the Javs used the last two minutes of the half to stage a rally. Ibrahim began the run with two free throws, then Thompson drained three-pointers on consecutive possessions, with assists coming from Emmeri Archer and Shrepee. Shrepee closed out the half with a last-second jump shot and TAMUK has used a 10-1 burst to move within 29-22 at the half.
THIRD QUARTER
Both sides came out of the locker room scoring. Buckets by Gray and Moore were sandwiched around another trey from Thompson and a three-pointer by Hampton increased the Ram lead to 11. Shrepee cut it back to single digits with a three-point-play, then she added two free throws and a layup. When Thompson converted a layup of her own, the visitors were within 36-34 with 6:28 remaining in the third.
Angelo State regained the momentum thanks to a jumper by Gray and a three-pointer by Kelly. Blount also swished a shot from three-point land and Greenwood tacked on two with a jumper and a 10-1 run had ballooned ASU's lead to 11. Consecutive makes by Shrepee moved Kingsville to within seven in time for the final quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
Greenwood's jump shot made the score 48-39, but Russell came back with four points for TAMUK and Thompson fourth three of the night moved the visiting team to within two. Two points from each side kept that margin the same before two free throws from Wilson evened the score. A bucket by Hampton pushed the Rams ahead by two, but Shrepee evened things again with a jumper.
A triple by Kelly then put the score at 55-52 and Ibrahim brought Kingsville to within one. Less than a minute later, Kelly hit again from deep to give the home team a two-possession edge with 4:17 on the clock and Greenwood soon added a three-pointer of her own. Wilson tried to keep the Javelinas in the game with a bucket, but free throws by ASU combined with another trey allowed the Rams to build an insurmountable lead.
The Javelinas' road trip comes to an end on Thursday, when they'll take the floor at the Steinke Physical Education Center for a 7 p.m. matchup with Texas Woman's University. To receive content for Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball, you can follow @TAMUKWBB on Twitter and Instagram, like the official Facebook page of Javelina athletics (/JavelinaSports) and subscribe to the Javelina Athletics YouTube channel.
