ABILENE - An incredible 19-3 game-ending run by the Abilene Christian women's basketball team carried the Wildcats to an exciting 53-50 comeback victory over Houston Baptist Thursday night at Sharp Gym.
The triumph was ACU's third straight and lifted its overall and conference records to 11-8 and 3-5, while the Huskies fell to 8-11 and 2-6.
It appeared tonight's game just wasn't going to go the Wildcats' way during some stretches, but after the Huskies' Monet Neal sank a layup with 9:37 remaining, ACU's defense went into total lockdown mode by forcing eight turnovers and holding HBU to 0-for-7 on field goal attempts.
This team effort on defense translated into points on offense as the Wildcats steadily chipped away at their game-high 14-point deficit starting with a pair of free throws by
Alyssa Echols and continuing with back-to-back layups from
Lizzy Dimba and
Sydney Shelstead that made it a 46-34 game.
ACU later scored eight straight points coming out of an officials' time out taken to get within five (47-42) with 9:05 to go, and made it a one-possession game after
Alexis Mason buried one of her two 3-pointers.
A layup from
Suzzy Dimba tied the game at 48-48 with 2:44 to go, and after a pair of free throws by HBU's Rachel Arthur dropped in, West countered with a huge 3-pointer that gave the Wildcats their first lead (51-50) since the 4:11 mark of the first half.
West came through once more in the closing seconds, blocking out to grab an offensive rebound after Mason missed both free throws with her team clinging to the one-point lead. And on the final play of the game,
Suzzy Dimba pulled down her eighth rebound off a missed 3-pointer by Erin McGarrachan.
"We had a defensive game plan going into tonight," said head coach
Julie Goodenough, "and our kids bought into it. I give them all the credit ... they played with tremendous endurance and persverance.
ACU buried some 3-pointers early in the first half to jump out to a 20-12 lead but soon went cold as the Wildcats failed to score a single point from the 12:08 to the :25 second mark.
Suzzy Dimba hit the last of three Wildcat treys in the first half with 12:49 to go and that would be ACU's final field goal as the Huskies finshed on a 18-2 run to take a 28-22 lead into halftime.
The Wildcats shot 24.1 percent (7-29) in the first half and connected on just 3-of-17 long-range attempts. HBU didn't exactly shoot much better, making 11-of-31 attempts (.355), but outscored ACU in the paint, 14-8, and off the bench, 18-0.
The Huskies also carrried a 27-19 rebound advantage into the break.
For the game, West, Mason and
Suzzy Dimba shared the team lead in points with 12 as the Wildcats finished shooting .315 (17-54) with five 3-pointers. West and
Suzzy Dimba also led their side with four steals.
The Huskies shot .328 on the night with most of their scoring taking place in the latter part of the first half and the start of the second when they produced 32 of their 50 points. Neal was their high scorer with nine points, while Anna Strickland had 17 rebounds off the bench in 35 minutes.
The Wildcats return to action Saturday at 4 p.m. for the start of a home-and-home series with Lamar. The Cardinals face the Wildcats in Abilene Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.
