SAN ANTONIO – ACU shot 13 percent from 3-point range Saturday afternoon and never found any offensive rhythm as they finished the regular season with a 58-46 loss to Incarnate Word at the McDermott Center on the UIW campus.
The loss snapped ACU's nine-game winning streak over the Cardinals and sends ACU into next week's Southland Conference Post-Season Tournament in Katy riding a five-game losing streak. ACU (15-13 overall and 9-9 in the league) will be the tournament's No. 7 seed and will play New Orleans in a first-round game next Thursday (March 8) at 1:30 p.m. in the Merrell Center. The winner of that game will move into the second round for a matchup against No. 3 seed Central Arkansas next Friday (March 9) at 1:30 p.m.
The Wildcats led Saturday's game 11-9 at the end of the first quarter, but that was the last time they would lead. UIW immediately got the game tied early in the second quarter, took a lead on two free throws by Imani Robinson with 7:08 left in the first half and never trailed the rest of the afternoon. The Cardinals took a 22-19 lead into the halftime break, thanks in part to ACU hitting just 1 of 18 shots from 3-point range and turning the ball over 11 times in the opening two quarters.
Dominique Golightly got the game tied early in the third quarter with a 3-pointer, making the score 24-24 with 8:21 to play before UIW pushed out to a 36-26 lead with a 12-2 run over a five-minute span. The Wildcats, however, were able to cut the UIW lead to 40-34 at the end of the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Golightly.
The Cardinals, however, opened the final quarter on an 8-5 run to push its lead to 48-35 with 6:43 to play. ACU cut the lead to seven points (51-44) with 2:12 to play on a layup by
Sara Williamson, but that was as close as the Wildcats would get the rest of the way.
Golightly led the Wildcats with 11 points, while
Breanna Wright had 10 points and
Sierra Allen had 10 rebounds.
