EDINBURG, Texas (Interstat) — In a game defined by resilience and a relentless pursuit of a first victory, the New Orleans Privateers pushed the Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros to the brink before falling 87-81 in overtime in a nonconference women’s basketball game Monday night at UT Pan Am Field House.

The Privateers, who entered the contest winless in 11 tries this season, erased a 13-point second-half deficit and had a chance to win in regulation, only to see the Vaqueros execute a crucial final-minute sequence to force the extra period. Texas-Rio Grande Valley then dominated the overtime session to improve to 5-7 on the season, while New Orleans’s search for its inaugural win continues.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the tense final minute of regulation. Trailing 72-69 with 25 seconds remaining, New Orleans guard Shanihya Brown was fouled and calmly sank two free throws to cut the deficit to one. The Privateers immediately fouled, sending UTRGV’s Erin Maguire to the line. Maguire made the first free throw but missed the second, keeping the Vaqueros’ lead at 73-71 and giving New Orleans life with 22 seconds left.

On the ensuing possession, UTRGV’s Gianna Angiolet delivered a critical blow, sinking a 3-pointer off an assist from Chazlyn Dettor to extend the lead to 76-71 with just 11 seconds on the clock. Undeterred, New Orleans called a timeout and advanced the ball. Jayla Kimbrough was fouled on a 3-point attempt with six seconds left and made all three free throws, slicing the margin back to two points.

Needing a foul, the Privateers sent Maguire back to the line with three seconds remaining. She made the first free throw to make it 77-74 but missed the second. Kimbrough secured the offensive rebound for New Orleans and was fouled on the put-back attempt with three-tenths of a second left. She made both free throws to complete a five-point trip and improbably tie the game at 77, sending it to overtime.

The overtime period, however, belonged to the home team. UTRGV scored the first four points and never relinquished the lead. New Orleans, which managed just seven points in the extra frame, saw several key shots rim out, while the Vaqueros sealed the game at the free-throw line, making 8 of 10 attempts in the final 1:21 of overtime.

New Orleans was led by a spectacular performance from Brialle Washington. The guard from Rayne, Louisiana, played 45 minutes and scored a game-high 26 points, adding four assists and a steal. Brown, a Chicago native, provided 12 points and six assists in 23 minutes. Kimbrough finished with 13 points, and Hailee Brennen added nine points and two blocks.

UTRGV’s victory was a balanced effort. Ivy Brown, from Lichfield, New Zealand, paced the Vaqueros with 15 points and five assists. Erin Maguire of Belfast, Ireland, filled the stat sheet with 14 points, seven assists and three steals in 43 minutes. Rylie Whitehair and Chazlyn Dettor each contributed 13 points, while Madison Huhn added 12, including a crucial 3-pointer in overtime.

The game was a tale of runs. UTRGV built a 37-28 lead late in the second quarter before New Orleans closed the half on a 7-0 spurt. The Vaqueros again stretched their advantage to 53-43 in the third, but the Privateers responded with a 23-10 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to take a 66-63 lead, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.

UTRGV shot efficiently from the field, while New Orleans struggled from 3-point range. The Privateers kept themselves in the game by forcing 22 Vaqueros turnovers, converting them into 21 points.

A crowd of 696 watched the contest, a Southland Conference matchup played as part of the nonconference schedule.

New Orleans will look for its first win of the season when it travels to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Wednesday. Texas-Rio Grande Valley will host Nicholls State on Wednesday.