ACU, Tarleton State set to meet again
Wildcats looking to build on Saturday's win over SW Oklahoma
STEPHENVILLE – The ACU Wildcats, coming off of one of their best performances of the season on Saturday, will take on Tarleton State for the second time this season Thursday night in a Lone Star Conference crossover game.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. from Wisdom Gym, and the game can be heard on KSLI 1280 AM.
ACU and Tarleton State have already met this season with the Wildcats taking a tough 57-53 win over the TexAnns on Dec. 20 at the Angelo State Classic. ACU senior center Lynsie Blau had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Wildcats, while Latonia Gilbert had 26 points to lead the TexAnns.
The Wildcats (5-5) played perhaps their best game of the season in Saturday's 79-63 win over Southwestern State. ACU led 39-29 at the half, and was never threatened in the second as the Wildcats out-rebounded the Lady Bulldogs, 39-26, and held them to 35-percent shooting from the field.
ACU, meanwhile, shot a sizzling 62 percent from the floor in the first half and 52 percent for the game, and the Wildcats hit 12 of 19 3-point attempts (63 percent), tying the school record for most 3-pointers made in a game, set Jan. 9, 2003, in a win over Cameron.
The Wildcats are led by senior forward Melanie Carter, who played one of her best games of the season in Saturday's win, scoring 20 points to go along with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Blau is averaging 11.7 points, a team-best 11.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game after her 9-point, 17-rebound, 4-block performance against Southwestern Oklahoma State.
Sophomore guard Ashley King seemed to break out of her shooting slump against the Lady Bulldogs, connecting on 5 of 7 3-point attempts to score 21 points. She is the only other Wildcat averaging in double figures at 11.1 points per game.
Freshman point guard Kristal Robeson might have been Saturday's MVP, however, as she started in place of Jenny Jackson (out with the flu) and came up big. Robeson played the first 38 minutes of the game, scored 11 points (3 of 3 from 3-point range) and dished out four assists to lead the ACU attack. Jackson, though, will be back Thursday and will start against the TexAnns. ACU will also get senior forward Jackie Vinson back in the rotation Thursday. Vinson has missed the last several games with tendinitis in her knees and strep throat.
The TexAnns (7-4) have won three straight since the loss to ACU, beating Texas A&M International, 79-67, at home on Dec. 31, and then winning back-to-back road games at Texas A&M-Kingsville (59-44 on Jan. 3) and Texas A&M-Commerce (81-71 on Jan. 5).
Gilbert leads a balanced attack at 11.0 points per game, while TaNesiah Lamb is averaging 10.3 points and a team-best 5.4 rebounds per game.
THURSDAY'S GAME
When: Thursday, Jan. 8
Time: 6 p.m.
Where: Wisdom Gym, Stephenville
Records: Abilene Christian 5-5; Tarleton State 7-4
Radio: KSLI 1280 AM (David Bacon, play-by-play)
Last Game for Both Teams: Monday, Jan. 5 – Abilene Christian 79, Southwestern Oklahoma State 63; Tarleton State 81, Texas A&M-Commerce 71
The series: ACU leads 25-14
Last Meeting: ACU 83, Tarleton State 56 (Jan. 16, 2003, at Moody Coliseum in Abilene)
