Women's Basketball | 11/14/2016 4:03:00 PM
ACU vs. Howard Payne:
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ABILENE - Abilene Christian women's basketball will lower its 2015-16 postseason banners and raise the curtain on its 2016-17 home schedule Tuesday when the Wildcats play host to longtime regional rival Howard Payne at 7 p.m.
ACU plans to lower its first conference championship banner prior to pregame introductions in addition to a second one celebrating the program's first appearance in the WNIT. The Wildcats went 18-1 to win the league's regular-season title in only its third year as a member, and were picked to repeat as champions this offseason in a vote of Southland Conference head coaches and media. ACU women's basketball won 16 conference championships between 1983 and 2013 while members of the Lone Star Conference.
The game will be broadcast online and via 98.1 FM – The Ticket with
Seth Wilson and
Mary Kate Rotenberry calling all the action from Moody Coliseum, which is beginning its 47th season as the home to Wildcat basketball. The ACU women have an all-time record here of 383-121 (.760) and haven't lost a home opener since 2009.
The Wildcats, unfortunately, had their six-year Opening Night streak broken Friday at No. 24 Missouri, which held on to defeat ACU, 52-46 in their first round Preseason WNIT Tournament game. The Wildcats trailed Missouri 25-21 at halftime but ACU dominated the third quarter, outscoring Missouri 12-6 to take a 33-31 lead into the fourth quarter. The game, however, turned in Missouri's favor early in the fourth quarter as Sierra Michaelis scored nine of her 11 points in the final 10 minutes.
Suzzy Dimba led the Wildcats with 11 points and five rebounds, while
Sydney Shelstead had eight points and 10 rebounds in just 16 minutes. And in her first real game back from injury,
Lizzy Dimba gutted out 31 minutes to finish with six points, five rebounds and two steals.
Freshman point guard
Breanna Wright also impressed by playing 40 minutes in her first collegiate game, finishing with five points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Wright was one of only 17 players nationwide to play 40 minutes in the first game of the 2016-17 season, and she is the first Wildcat to register a complete game on Opening Night since Alex Guiton vs. Incarnate Word on Nov. 16. 2007.
Sophomore Sara Williams started in place of injured shooting guard
Alexis Mason and scored seven points with three assists and five rebounds. Mason's injury snapped her career long 89 games played streak and 30-game starting streak. There is no timetable for Mason's return.
ACU has won its last 17 games at Moody Coliseum, dating back to February of 2015, and the Wildcats lead their all-time series against Howard Payne, 23-4, with their last meeting taking place at the start of the 2014-15 season. The Wildcats trounced the Yellowjackets that night, 102-60, with the Dimba Twins combining for 32 points and Mason scoring 24 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range.
It was against the Yellowjackets in 1995 that the Wildcats scored their most points in a regulation game when they beat HPU 122-42. The two sides didn't play one another for 20 seasons following that game.
Following Tuesday's game, the Wildcats will begin preparations for their back-to-back WNIT Prseason consolation bracket games. ACU will tip against Omaha Friday at 6 p.m. followed by North Texas and UT Rio Grande Valley. The Wildcats will then play Saturday at 6 p.m. against either the Mean Green or Vaqueros.
Ticket prices for the WNIT are $12 for adults and $7 for children per day.
