ACU at Stephen F. Austin:
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Game Notes
ABILENE – They're all 'must-win' games, but Thursday's ESPN3 game between the Abilene Christian and Stephen F. Austin women's basketball teams has taken on some extra added importance as neither one of these sides can afford to fall any further behind first-place Central Arkansas with only six games remaining on the regular-season schedule.
The Sugar Bears have won 10 straight, including victories over SFA and ACU, and enter this week atop the Southland Conference at 11-2, while SFA and ACU are a half-game behind at 10-2. Lamar also is in the mix for the regular-season crown at 10-3.
The Wildcats went 1-1 vs. Central Arkansas this season, and is needing to do the same vs. the Ladyjacks if they want an easier route to repeating at regular-season champions. But it's going to be tough as SFA has won three of four meetings vs. the Wildcats since ACU joined the Southland Conference in 2013-14, including a 70-61 decision last month at Moody Coliseum.
In its Jan. 12 victory, Stephen F. Austin limited the Wildcats to a season-low 15 first-half points on 16.1 percent shooting. ACU would mount a small comeback in the second half, outscoring the Ladyjacks, 46-38, but couldn't get any closer than five points with 20 seconds remaining.
Suzzy Dimba was ACU's star of the game, scoring 20 points for the second consecutive night to go along with a team-high nine rebounds and four assists.
Dimba was an honorable mention for Southland Conference Player of the Week Monday after leading ACU to a 1-1 week in which the Wildcats followed an 80-70 loss at Central Arkansas with a 79-57 beatdown of Northwestern State, who they'll face again this Saturday, Jan. 18 at Prather Coliseum. Dimba scored a single-game career high 33 points vs. the Sugar Bears, giving her 61 points this season against UCA, and then she dropped in 12 points vs. the Lady Demons in 20 minutes of action.
ACU (16-8) continually pulled away from Northwestern State throughout the first half thanks to 10 3-pointers. Senior guard
Alexis Mason buried 6-of-14 long-range attempts in giving her a game-high 23 points. The Wildcats hit three additional treys in the second half, tying their season high for a fourth time with 13 triples.
The Ladyjacks (19-4) have handily won their last two games vs. Nicholls and Lamar since being upset in Natchitoches, La., by the Lady Demons in overtime, 76-72. Three of their players are averaging 10 or more points a game: Taylor Ross (18.7), Brentney Branch (15.3) and Stevi Parker (10.8), who also is the Ladyjacks leading rebounder with 8.2 boards per game.
This trio accounted for 47 of SFA's 70 points at Moody Coliseum, while Adrienne Lewis recorded a 17-point / 12-rebound double-double.
