Las Vegas, NV - In a nail-biting overtime dogfight, the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball team fell, 80-75, to the No.25 Daemen Wildcats in game one of the D2 Holiday Hoops Classic.
The game, which began day one of competition in the South Point Arena, was a hard-fought, back-and-forth affair that saw the Javelinas fight back from down as many as 13 to force overtime before coming up just short, falling to 0-8 (0-3 Lone Star Conference) on the season.
"We got a lot better today in so many ways," Head Coach
Michael Madrid said. "Proud of our fight and execution. I don't like giving up 80 points. If we can limit turnovers, we put ourselves in a much better position."
Not only is 75 points a new single-game season high, but the team's regulation total of 65 would also have notched a new high. Three scored in double figures to lead TAMUK's stellar offensive performance, which saw the team shoot 49.2% from the field. Leading the way were redshirt junior guard
Kaycee Groves, who stuffed the stat sheet with a season high in both points (19) and assists (5), as well as six rebounds, two steals, and a block, and sophomore guard
Addisyn Parker, who totalled new career highs in both points (18) and assists (8).Â
"They have experience and experience is huge," Madrid said. "I thought they got better as the game went on as well, and we need those two to produce."
Those two combined to score half of Kingsville's 18 points in the pivotal second quarter, including a buzzer-beating triple from Parker to close out the first half. That frame saw TAMUK close the gap, outscoring the Wildcats by 10 to make it a one-point game at halftime. Freshman forward
Justine Aguilar and redshirt junior forward
Kaylee Howell combined for six points and eight rebounds in the frame, willing the team back into the game behind a defensive effort that held Daemen to just 2-of-15 shooting in the quarter.
Though Kingsville's turnover issues began to mount in the third quarter, the Javelinas made excellent use of their shot attempts, shooting 66% from the field in the third quarter that featured both's team's offensive firepower. Again trailing by one after a stalemated third, a bucket from sophomore forward
Thalia Daniels early in the fourth game TAMUK the first fourth-quarter lead of its season. Daemen, however, quickly took its edge back, and the fourth became a battle. Kingsville stayed right in the Wildcats' rear-view, finally snatching its lead back on a fastbreak bucket from Aguilar with 1:17 to play. A late bucket from Daemen then forced OT, where the Cats did just enough to come away with the win.
Howell finished with 10 rebounds, a season high, to go along with seven points. Freshman guard
Landri Richey played 20+ minutes off the bench for the first time in her career, totalling three points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals (all career highs).
The Javelinas now have less than 24 hours before their second and final game of the tournament, where they will face off with the Tampa Spartans at 11:00 a.m. CT (9:00 a.m. local).
"Rest. We need to rest and hydrate," Madrid said. "Tampa is a much different challenge. We are excited about the opportunity."
