NM State Aggies vs UTRGV Vaqueros Women’s Basketball 3-3-18

We got to the Pan-Am Center way too early.  Ron really likes watching the players warm up.  Today’s matchup was certainly worth getting excited about.  The Aggie Women were playing for a possible WAC regular season championship.  There were already cars in the parking lot when we got there.  Inside, the Vaqueros (once again, I really dislike this name for UTRGV’s Women’s teams) were stretching and running drills.  The Aggies were doing a shoot-around.  We did get to see the Roadrunner Review band doing their pre-game ritual (assuming they do this every game).  They got up and marched around the concourse, playing and singing the Aggie fight song, before returning to their seats.

The university was expecting a good crowd for this game.  A couple more registers were open at the concessions.  (But still not the grill, when I am going to be able to try an Aggie Burger?)  AD Mario Moccia had offered free tickets to any business that got in touch with him this week, which was how I got my tickets.  This was a bit of a “Thank you” for all the community support the university had gotten over this school year.  Even better, tickets for this game would be good for entry to Aggie Baseball, which was playing a double header against Harvard this afternoon.  This was a nice gesture too, since fans, such as myself and Ron, had to choose which game to attend because of the overlapping scheduling.  (They probably weren’t able to move either of the events around.)  Ron kept an eye on Statcast of the baseball game.  It was 5-0 Aggies in the third.

I was in my “3 Pete” Women’s Basketball WAC championship shirt for the last time until next season.  I saw a couple of them in the crowd.  I also picked out a football “Made History” shirt.  On that front, Coach Brooke Atkinson was wearing pink pants and a tank top.  It was another bold fashion choice for the coach.  Adam Young, doing a welcome radio broadcast with Nolan Fox today, fist-bumped her as she walked by.  You could hear the girls roaring in the tunnel before they came out and were introduced. 

At mid-court, senior Jasmine Cooper was all smiles as she shook hands with the officials and the opposing captain.  This would be her last game at the Pan-Am.  Her, Tonishia Childress, and Zaire Williams were all honored as departing seniors, along with the seniors on the Vaqueros, before the game.  Totally breaking character with virtually every other post I’ve made, I have say Zaire’s dad is really handsome.  She gets her good looks from him.  Her mom definitely contributed to Zee’s great hair though, since dad was “shiny” on top.  

An awesome crowd suddenly materialized right before the tipoff.  It was later announced at over 1,500.  Most of the bigger crowds this season included some large kids’ groups that performed at the half, along with their parents.  There were plenty of kids here today, but this crowd was here for the game.  I hope the girls were pleased with the turnout.    

First Quarter

If you like defensive basketball, this was your quarter.  Neither team was shooting well, as the defenses were ferocious.  I counted three steals by Brooke Salas in the opening minutes.  One of those steals, Brooke sent to Monique Mills for a layup and the game’s first score.  Remember that Aggie fans are told to stand until the opposing team scores?  Six minutes into the game, we were still standing.  It was 7-0 Aggies before the first media timeout finally settled everybody, except for the cheerleaders.  They were still standing up in the aisles for a few more minutes.  Ron and I exchanged disbelieving looks during the timeout.  Was UTRGV going to score?  It was 9-0 Aggies with three minutes left before the Vaqueros finally got a layup. 

UTRGV did mount a comeback as the Aggies went cold.  The game got more physical.  With under a minute, there was a spectacle like a tag-team wrestling match for a loose ball at mid-court.  Brooke made her first field goal right before the buzzer.  11-8 Aggies after 10 minutes.  From the radio, we got the following stats: Aggies 3 for 15 shooting, Vaqueros 4 for 16 along with 11 turnovers.  

Second Quarter

A little girls’ dance troop performed between quarters.  The Cheerleaders and the Sundancers watched, and I think, enjoyed it.  Back in play, the Vaqueros were 0 for 8 on threes, until they made one to tie the score at 11.  There was more fighting on the floor for the ball.  Both teams seemed well motivated this afternoon, and were going to be black and blue tomorrow. 

Megan Johnson on UTRGV collected an impressive three fouls in one minute and had to sit.  Brooke and Jameka Dowell fought under the basket for a rebound.  Brooke came up with it and got an assist to Monique for a basket.  I also had Mo with a block on an open-look three.  I could be wrong there; the radio call didn’t specify the player either.  Mo definitely got a steal and a layup for a 23-17 Aggie lead.  

During a timeout, that kid that I see everywhere at Aggie sporting events, was brought out on court with a couple of cheerleaders.  I first time I saw him was at a softball game where he left a dish of nachos out in the heat for over an hour before he ate them.  Obviously, he has an iron stomach.  The last time was also at a softball game, where marketing guy, DJ Downs, was chasing him around.  He’s well connected.  I didn’t catch his name, but he was introduced as an “Aggie Superfan.”  It was his birthday today and he got well wishes from the crowd. 

Back in the game, Brooke had to come out with two fouls and three minutes left in the half.  It was tied at 23 at the two minute mark.  The Vaqueros got their first lead of the game on a layup right before the buzzer.  Coach Atkinson was furious with team for that breakdown.  25-24 Vaqueros at the half. 

Halftime

A different group of little girl dancers performed, followed by another routine by the previous group.  It was something of an unofficial dance-off.  Both groups had performed at previous games, but not together.  The Sundancers watched both groups, but the cheerleaders hung out together in the stands.  It wasn’t until later that I finally noticed that they didn’t perform at all on court during the game.  They had a full complement of girls and guys there to do their routines.  I did see my favorite, the little goth-y one.  I don’t know why she’s favorite, she just is.  Well, this will be the last time I see her until the fall, assuming she’s not graduating.

 

Third Quarter

Let’s breakdown the scoring for the beginning of this quarter:  Brooke Salas hit a three, Brooke got a layup off a Gia Pack steal (I think it was her), Brooke hit another three, and then she hit another three.  Timeout UTRGV.  It was now 35-27 Aggies.  Brooke had put in 11 points in three minutes.  Coming out of the timeout, Zaire grabbed her by the arm, smiling like a happy fan. 

The game was still very physical.  Mo drove the lane on one possession and ended up flat on her back.  She did convert the free throws.  Gia got her second steal of the quarter and rammed it in for a contested layup.  It was good see her scoring.  It was 48-38 Aggies after 30 minutes, though the Aggies did have another defensive breakdown before the buzzer to let in a layup. 

Fourth Quarter

The cheerleaders came out and tossed little basketballs to the crowd, which was the closest they came to performing.  Brooke popped a three right after play started.  She also got a jump hook in the lane.  There was some good passing.  Coop found Gia under the basket, then Zaire found Coop in the same place right after.  There was somewhat comical scene going on the other side of the court, as Coach Atkinson was directing the players from the sidelines in front of Adam, as he was standing, dodging around her trying to see the game to call it.

What happened next had been brewing all game.  Brooke and Megan Johnson tussled under the basket for a rebound, stopping play.  Brooke, as usual, was nonplussed and even smiling afterward, but other players were not going to let it go.  Jameka Dowell started shoving and Zaire came in to give it back.  Coach Atkinson immediately ran out on the court to break up any more fighting.  She was trying protect her players from any possible suspensions, though she could have been ejected immediately for going out on court.    

The refs took a while to sort this one out, given that there wasn’t a full camera crew working the game.  UTRGV coach Larry Tidwell, who looks like he should be in a coffee house reading poetry with some beatniks, told the officials that he was sitting Dowell out for the rest of the game.  The refs decided to eject her and Zaire as well.  As Zee was going to the locker room, she passed Mario, who was sitting behind the UTRGV bench.  He gave her a high-five. 

Mo dropped a three coming out of the break to make it 60-41 Aggies with five minutes left.  She also got fouled on a three and converted on all three shots from the nail.  Yeah, it was rout by this point.  A little boy working it for Flex-Cam cracked up the crowd, who were already in a good mood.  At 70-51 with 90 seconds left, the coach took out all the starters at the same time.  She might have had something else planned, but with Zaire out, this was the next best way to give the crowd a chance to honor them.  Our final: Aggies 72, Vaqueros 56.

We’ll hand out some gameballs here.  For the Vaqueros, Valeria Tapia shot well above her 5’7” height with 15 points.  Marie-Fatou Gueye also had 15.  I think Adam mentioned that her season average was 2 points per game.  For the Aggies, we have our scoring triumvirate.  Brooke Salas had 24, Monique Mills had 20, and Gia Pack had 18.  This is what the team needs for the tournament, since you really can’t double team three players without exhausting yourself.  Mo really had a tremendous game, which was what the team needed until Brooke and Gia got hot.  Brooke was just a dagger in the back in the third.  The team defense also refused to let UTRGV get on an uncontested run. 

With this win, the Aggies won at least a share of the WAC regular season championship.  Congratulations to Coach Brooke Atkinson for this winning a season as a first time head coach.  She later gave former coach Mark Trakh a lot of credit for handing her such a great team.  When asked at the beginning of the season, Atkinson said she didn’t plan any changes, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” Also with this win, Coop and Zaire became the first players ever in the WAC to win four regular season championships.  

A ladder was brought out on court and the girls were announced as they each cut off a piece of the net.  Brooke was wearing a bigger smile than I’d ever seen on her.  Zaire was the last player and finished cutting it loose.  The only item remaining was the question of whether they were co-champs or outright champs.  This was being decided in Bakersfield at the same time as this game, but there, the Roadrunners and the Grand Canyon Lopes needed two overtimes to decide their fate. 

Ron and I got to the ballpark during the intermission between the double header games.  No reason not to go to see baseball, since it’d be free.  I never imagined that Game 1, which started two hours before the basketball game, would finish after the basketball game.  Just as we came in, the PA announced to the crowd that Bakersfield had lost and that the Aggies were the sole conference champs in Women’s Basketball. 

And I have another ticket that I’ll be holding on to.