PORTALES, N.M. –
Darrein Williams' 3-pointer with 48 seconds left in the second overtime served as the game-clinching shot in Abilene Christian's 92-85 win at Eastern New Mexico Saturday night.
The win was ACU's first in Lone Star Conference play this season and snapped a two-game losing streak. The Wildcats' season record is back at .500 at 4-4 (1-3 LSC), while Zias fell to 2-8 and 1-4.
Eastern took the second overtime's first lead on a Tara Johnson jumper, but the Wildcats clawed back with a
Kelsey Smith jumper sandwiched in between five three throws in taking an 87-83 lead. A jumper from Hannah Altheide then made it a two-point game, but on the ensuing ACU possession Williams drained a rainbow trey that put the Wildcats comfortably up by five.
ACU went on to ice the game with free throws by Smith and Perez, both of whom were among five Wildcats to score in double figures. Smith finished the game with 18 points and Perez had 13.
Renata Marquez also had a big game with 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting, while
Paige Parliament finished a rebound shy of a double-double in contributing 18 points and nine boards.
Mack Lankford counted two 3-pointers among her 10 points and dished out three assists.
Johnson carried the Zias with 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, but four of her teammates fouled out, including the conference's No. 2 scorer Precious Herrin, who had 18 points and four blocks in 22 minutes of action.
Eastern sent ACU to the free throw line 42 times, and the Wildcats responded with 30 buckets and a .714 shooting percentage. Both Smith and Parliament made eight foul shots.
By comparison, the Zias shot only 65.6 percent from the foul line (21-of-32) and missed seven more 3-pointers than the Wildcats. Overall, each club shot about 38 percent from the field and pulled down close to the same amount of rebounds.
Eastern went into halftime up 36-31 and held the Wildcats to a single field goal over the final 5:30 while countering with a pair of threes plus several free throws. Johnson's trey at the 5:03 mark broke a 25-25 tie.
ACU started the game in an 8-1 hole as the Zias received eight straight points from Lace Clark on 3-of-4 shooting. The Wildcats came back to tie the score by the 15:57 mark and pulled ahead for a short while following a Smith jumper.
The second half was a classic tug of war in which both sides exchanged the lead 14 times. Eastern took the final lead of the half on Kiara Tate's 3-pointer with 1:14 remaining, but Smith countered with a pair of free throws with just under a minute to go that tied the game at 72-72.
On the Zias' next possession Lankford blocked a shot by Tori Northcutt, but Northcutt returned the favor by forcing Lankford into a turnover. Eastern was presented a final chance to take the lead after calling a time out with four seconds left but couldn't get off a shot.
Tate's 3-pointer was Eastern's only bucket over the final 4:22 as ACU finished regulation on a 7-3 run.
The teams remained tied at 80-80 leaving the first overtime. ACU scored the first two baskets on consecutive jumpers by Perez and Williams, but Eastern countered with a three by Johnson followed by a handful of free throws.
Smith's jumper with 1:18 to go gave the Wildcats a short-lived 80-78 lead as Johnson drained her own game-tying jumper a mere 26 seconds later.
The Wildcats return to action Monday with a 6 p.m. road game at Midwestern State.
