BEAUMONT - Sophomore guard
Breanna Wright sank a career single-game high eight 3-pointers and tallied 27 points in the Wildcats' 77-71 defeat to the Southland Conference preseason favorites from Lamar Wednesday night at the Montagne Center.
The loss dropped ACU's overall and league records to 13-7 and 7-3, while the Cardinals improved to 14-6 and 9-1, keeping them a half game behind first-place Stephen F. Austin (9-0). Central Arkansas is third with an 8-2 record and the Wildcats are up a half game on New Orleans (7-4) for fourth place after the Privateers lost to Northwestern State.
Wright hit six three pointers in the first half to keep the Wildcats within a possession at the halftime break at 37-34, and her first of the second half cut the Cardinals' lead to 58-56 (6:22 of the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, Lamar would score the next six points and regain a double-digit lead (71-61) on Moe Kinard's jumper in the paint at the 1:28 mark. The Cardinals totaled 56 points in the paint as only one of their 30 field goals came from beyond the 3-point arc. The home team additionally hit 16 free throws and registered 23 offensive rebounds that led to 19 points.
Lamar shot .448 for the game (30-67) led by center Kiandra Bowers' 30-point / 16-rebound double-double. Bowers made 13 of 16 field goal attempts and recorded three steals.
Chastadie Barrs produced a 16-point / 10-assist double-double to go along with five steals, and DeA'ngela Mathis totaled 14 points in 22 minutes of play.
The Wildcats hit 44 percent of their shots (22-50) vs. one of the nation's top defensive teams with Wright and her classmate
Dominique Golightly (14 points) responsible for 14 of ACU's 15 3-pointers. Wright's eight triples are second only to
Alexis Mason's nine (at Houston Baptist on March 4, 2017) during the team's NCAA D1 era.
ACU made 15-of-35 treys for a 42.9 percent success rate and was successful on 12-of-14 attempts from the free-throw line.
The Wildcats return to action Saturday at 3 p.m. at Sam Houston State. ACU defeated the Bearkats, 83-65, earlier this season at Moody Coliseum.
