JULIE GOODENOUGH AND RENATA MARQUEZ INTERVIEW
ABILENE - The Abilene Christian women's basketball team officially begins its first season under head coach
Julie Goodenough Saturday at 7 p.m. vs. Texas A&M-International of the Heartland Conference.
The Wildcats are 2-0 in their all-time series vs. the Dustdevils, which includes last year's 96-87 win in Laredo. Junior and Lone Star Conference Preseason Player of the Year
Mackenzie Lankford led ACU with 27 points on 8 of 15 shooting, while
Renata Marquez posted a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds.
Fellow returners
Paige Parliament and
Kelsey Smith netted 13 and 10 points, respectively.
The aforementioned Wildcats should figure to be part of the starting lineup along with sophomore guard
Shannon Sanders, who transferred to ACU this summer from Charleston Southern. Sanders played in 28 games for Goodenough last season, averaging 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.
Lankford missed several games due to injury in 2011-12, but still made third team all-America after finishing fifth in NCAA Division II scoring with 21.5 points per game. She also finished the year ranked among the national leaders with 2.5 steals per game and led the Wildcats in assists (3.1).
A senior entering her third year at ACU, Smith ranked among national leaders (34th) with 2.2 blocked shots per game and Lone Star Conference leaders with 13.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Her career high 19 rebounds at Incarnate Word were the most of any player in the Lone Star Conference last season.
Marquez averaged 11.5 points and 6.0 boards per game as a sophomore last season through 18 starts, while Parliament provided 7.8 points and 4.2 rebounds as a true freshman.
Ten players return from last year's Texas A&M-International roster including three starters and all-Heartland Conference selections Samantha Chacon and Amanda Mangan. Chacon ranked fourth in the conference last season averaging 11.9 points per game, while Mangan finished twelfth averaging 10.6.
Michelle Bento-Jackson, whose previous coaching stops include Santa Clara and Syracuse, leads the Dustdevils as their first-year head coach.
Live statistics will be provided Saturday's game.
