ABILENE – On the day that ACU celebrated the 50th anniversary of Moody Coliseum, welcomed back former players and coaches and hoped to celebrate the Wildcats punching their ticket to the Southland Conference Post-Season Tournament, Central Arkansas spoiled the festivities with a 73-61 win.
The loss was the third straight for the Wildcats and fourth in their last five games as they fell to 15-11 overall and 9-7 in the Southland Conference. The Sugar Bears, meanwhile, improved to 19-8 and 12-4 with the win. ACU is tied with Nicholls for sixth place in the league standings and still needs just one win in its final two games (at home vs. Stephen F. Austin on Wednesday and at Incarnate Word next Saturday) or one loss by Southeastern Louisiana (vs. New Orleans on Wednesday and at home vs. Nicholls next Saturday) to clinch a spot in the tournament, which will be played March 7-11 in Katy.
The Wildcats limited the Sugar Bears to just 24 first-half points – including just nine in the second half – and ACU went to the break up 29-24, thanks in part to a
Dominique Golightly layup at the buzzer, giving her team a five-point lead at halftime.
ACU led by as many as seven points three different times in the third quarter fore UCA head coach Sandra Rushing called a timeout with 2:46 left in the quarter after a layup by Taudencia Oluoch put the Wildcats in front 44-37. That's when the game and the momentum shifted. UCA ended the quarter on a 12-2 run to take a 49-46 lead into the fourth quarter.
A quick 3-pointer by
Breanna Wright to start the fourth quarter tied the score at 49-49, but only for a minute. After the teams traded buckets, Angel Williams hit a jumper for UCA to give the Sugar Bears a 53-51 lead before Taylor Baudoin hit a free to make it 54-51 with 7:46 to play.
But ACU sophomore guard
Breanna Wright would hit a 3-pointer with 7:13 to play, drawing the Wildcats even at 54. The Wildcats regained a 58-57 lead with 4:56 to play on a layup by
Taudenciah Oluoch, but the Sugar Bears would respond in a big way.
UCA went on a 10-0 run over the ensuing 3:28 to pull out to a nine-point advantage (67-58) with 1:28 left in the game. The run was capped by a 3-pointer from Antonija Bozic, giving the Sugar Bears an insurmountable lead.
Four Wildcats finished in double figures, including both seniors (
Sierra Allen with 11 points and four rebounds and Oluoch with 12 points and seven rebounds), as well as a team-high 17 points from sophomore guard
Breanna Wright and 11 points from Golightly.
ACU will close out its home schedule Wednesday at 7 p.m. when it hosts Stephen F. Austin in the regular-season home finale.
