EL PASO – Lynsie Blau vs. Midwestern State (2004),
Suzzy Dimba vs. Incarnate Word (2016),
Alexis Mason vs. Lamar (2016), and
Breanna Wright vs. Texas Southern (2018). What connects these four performers? They all fell just short in their attempts to become the first Wildcat since Jennifer Clarkson in 1996 to record a triple-double.
In the most recent close call recorded Friday afternoon at UTEP's Don Haskins Center, Wright and the Wildcats were so dominant offensively and defensively in their 81-39 win over Texas Southern that the junior guard from Jarrell, Texas was pulled after 31 minutes with nine points, eight rebounds and a team-high eight assists.
Wright came out of the game with 8:50 left in the game and her team comfortably ahead, 58-28. Even with one of their star players on the bench in anticipation for Saturday night's clash with UTEP, the Wildcats continued to pull away in winning by 42 points. ACU outscored Texas Southern, 25-11, in the fourth quarter and improved to 5-0 on the season, which is the best five-game start by any
Julie Goodenough-coached team.
The other aforementioned close calls included Mason dishing out seven assists to go with 17 points / 13 rebounds vs. Lamar, and her teammate Dimba coming up three blocks shy vs. UIW (19 points / 13 rebounds). Blau scored 14 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked eight shots vs. the Mustangs.
Friday's game was never in question. The Wildcats made 50 percent of their 14 field-goal attempts in building a 16-4 lead, and then sprung for 24 points in the second quarter as they started with three consecutive buckets from Wright,
Sara Williamson (six points) and
Lexie Ducat (12 points / 7 rebounds).
ACU grabbed its first 20 point lead on a layup by junior
Dominique Golightly (14 points) with 6:43 left in the first half, and separated itself even further as the defense limited the Tigers to only two second-quarter field goals (.154).
Texas Southern trailed by 25 points at halftime and never reduced its deficit to below 22 after 10 third-quarter personal fouls resulted in 11 trips to the free throw line for ACU. Ducat also hit a pair of buckets late in the third quarter coupled with free throws from Wright and freshman
Madi Miller.
The Wildcats ran away in the fourth quarter, 25-11, by hitting 57 percent of their field goals complete with two three pointers (
Josie Larson and
Pamela Herrera) and seven free throws. Texas Southern, meanwhile, went cold again from the floor in making only two of its last 11 shots.
For the game, the Tigers made less than 20 percent (11-57 .193) of their field-goal attempts, while ACU made 30 of 58 (.517).
ACU also outrebounded the Tigers, 46-33, and scored 22 points off 15 turnovers.
