Wichita Falls - The Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball team struggled turning the ball over late as a fourth quarter push from Midwestern St. gave the Javelinas a 67-60 road loss to the Mustangs on Saturday.
Kingsville dominated the middle two quarter and took a four-point lead into the final frame, before seven fourth-quarter turnovers led to a 27-point frame from the Mustangs, allowing them to pull away late and secure the win.
"Twenty six turnovers and gave up 18 offensive rebounds," Head Coach
Michael Madrid said. "Not locking into the scout and allowed MSU to play to their strengths. Credit to MSU, thought they are playing really inspired basketball and their interim coach is doing a tremendous job managing them and allowing them to make plays."
Redshirt junior guard
Kaycee Groves once again led the team in scoring, dropping 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field (4-of-8 3PT), paired with seven rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Sixteen of those points came in the second half (nine in the fourth). The game marks the third time she's topped 20 points in a single contest in the new year, and is her fourth straight double-figure scoring game.
Though the team turned the ball over 26 times in the game, TAMUK stayed strong defensively, holding MSU to under 33% shooting from the field as a team, and ceding just 15 total points to its hosts across the second and third quarters (4-of-29 FG in 2nd & 3rd). Kingsville outscored the Mustangs by 10 in those quarters, erasing a lead that Midwestern had built up in the first quarter, which had grown as large as nine points.
TAMUK was unable to continue that momentum in the fourth quarter, however, as they failed to protect the basketball offensively, and allowed a MSU to shoot 8-of-18 (4-of-6 3PT) in the fourth quarter, leading to the loss.
In her fourth straight start (first four of her collegiate career), freshman forward
Justine Aguilar joined Groves in double figures with 12 points to go along with seven rebounds (T-career high), and three assists (career high). Another freshman, guard
Landri Richey, made an impact for the team off the bench, collecting a career-high 10 rebounds to go along with five points, two assists, a steal, and a block.
The Javelinas will now return to Kingsville for the final homestand of their season, which will begin Thursday at 5:30 p.m. against No.8 West Texas A&M as the teams clash on Throwback Night, which will also serve as Faculty Appreciation Night. They will then close out their 2025-26 home games with a 1:00 p.m. tip against Eastern New Mexico on Saturday.
