LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech outscored Abilene Christian 9-5 in the closing three minutes of the game Wednesday to thwart a furious Wildcat rally and hang on for a 71-65 win in front of 3,015 fans at the United Supermarkets Arena.
The win lifted Texas Tech to 5-1 on the season, while the Wildcats fall to 4-2 with the loss. The Wildcats continue their trip northward for this weekend's Air Force Classic in Colorado Springs, Colo., where they'll play two neutral-site games Friday and Saturday vs. Grand Canyon and Eastern Michigan.
The Wildcats trailed by 12 points early in the fourth quarter (56-44) before they ripped off a 16-6 run over the next 5:32 to cut the Lady Raiders' lead to 62-60 with 4:03 to play.
Lizzy Dimba keyed the run with six points, while Whitney Swinford had five points,
Sydney Shelstead three and
Suzzy Dimba a pair of free throws to end the run that got ACU back into the game.
But after the Wildcats closed to within 62-60, ACU finished the game 1 of 10 from the field with its last basket a 3-pointer from Whitney Swinford with nine seconds remaining. The Lady Raiders were able to pull away and Dayo Olabode's dagger 3-pointer with 1:36 to play gave Tech a 68-60 lead and ACU wouldn't get closer than four points the rest of the way.
"I'm really proud of our effort tonight and how hard we competed," ACU head coach
Julie Goodenough said. "We had our best prep in practice this week and we followed through with our game plan always believing we could win."
The Wildcats followed up one of their best weeks of practice with a terrific opening-quarter effort that saw them ahead 17-11 at the end of the first 10 minutes of the game. ACU committed just one turnover in the opening quarter and were led by junior guard
Alexis Mason's 10 points (two 3-pointers and four free throws). The Wildcats scored eight points off seven turnovers by Texas Tech.
"I always expect our team to fight based on what I see during our practices, which are hard and challenging," Goodenough said. "This is the most competitive team I've had (at ACU) and they've set a new standard for how tough our practices have become."
The Lady Raiders were hot offensively from start-to-finish in the second quarter and went into the break with a 36-32 lead. Tech made 11-of-17 second-quarter attempts including their first four and eventually grabbed the lead on the second of two straight 3-pointers by Rayven Brooks at the 3:35 mark that capped an 8-0 run.
ACU went on to tie the score three more times during the final three minutes, but after
Suzzy Dimba hit a game-tying layup with 1:24 left, Tech received a pair of buckets by Sanders, who finished the first half 4 of 4 from the field. Sanders' final basket came off of one of seven offensive rebounds as Tech outrebounded ACU over the first 20 minutes, 23-19, and it led to a four-point halftime advantage for the Lady Raiders.
Turnovers, however, soon started to pile up for ACU out of the break and when coupled with some hot shooting by the Lady Raiders the Wildcats soon trailed by double-digits (46-36 with 4:47 left in the third quarter) and on two occasions late in the third quarter trailed by as many as 14 points.
The Wildcats, however, wouldn't die as they battled back in the fourth quarter only to suffer their second loss in three games at Texas Tech over the last three seasons.
Suzzy Dimba finished with a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds to go along with two assists, two blocks and four steals in 39 terrific minutes.
Lizzy Dima had eight points and eight rebounds in front of her hometown crowd, while Swingford had 14 points on 5 of 11 shooting (3 of 6 from 3-point range) and Mason had 12 points. Tech was led by Ivonne CookTaylor's 17 points and a double-double from Sanders, who finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Rayven Brooks finished with 16 points, four assists, one block and two steals for the Lady Raiders.
