Wildcats hit big free throws down the stretch to top Portland

Friday, November 29

Portland, Ore.

4 p.m. CT

Abilene Christian

5-1

Portland

5-2

Abilene Christian

Portland

Photo by: Tim Nelson

Wildcats hit big free throws down the stretch to top Portland

11/29/2019 8:40:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore. – ACU went 14-of-18 at the free throw line in the fourth quarter, Dominique Golightly recorded a new season-high in points, and the Wildcat women's basketball team capped off November with a tough, hard-fought road win at the University of Portland Friday afternoon, 76-69. After trailing right from the beginning, the Wildcats regained their composure and handled their business more than 1,800 miles away from home against a tough West Coast Conference opponent. With the win, ACU gets right back on track and improves to 5-1 on the year, while Portland drops to 5-2.

Turning Points
- ACU trailed 9-0 to start the game at the Chiles Center. However, the Wildcats settled in without head coach Julie Goodenough having to call a timeout, and made an 8-0 run of their own. ACU would gain the lead on a Breanna Wright free throw and the teams would trade punches after that.
- The game was close deep into the third quarter, when ACU went on a key run. With just 3:12 remaining in the period, the Wildcats went on an 11-0 run to push their lead to 45-33. In a low-scoring, defensive battle, that run was key going into the fourth. Portland would not get the game closer than four points.

Key Plays
- After trailing 9-0, Breanna Wright got the scoring going with an and-one basket to get within 9-3. That play settled things down, and the Wildcats got going.
- Dominique Golightly picked up her second foul early on in the first quarter. Sophomore Madi Miller, who turned 20 on Friday, came in to the lineup and hit two big free throws near the end of the quarter.
- The game was close again in the fourth. Portland hit some key shots to get within four points, 54-51. Then Breanna Wright did her thing. The senior hit a three off a screen at the top of the key to push the advantage to seven with 4:34 to play.
- A few possessions later, ACU was holding on to six-point lead when Dominique Golightly hit her fifth three-pointer of the game to extend the advantage to 61-52.
- Free throws down the stretch from Anna McLeod and Wright put the game away eventually. Despite Portland scoring 30 fourth-quarter points, ACU did not let them gain any ground by scoring 29 of its own.

Stat Pack
- ACU went 20-of-27 in the game from the free throw line. Both teams shot near 50% from the floor, and both teams hit eight three-pointers. The key was ACU's ability to hit clutch free throws down the stretch.
- Rebounding was almost even, 32-31 (ACU), and turnovers were 18-16 in favor of Portland. Points off turnovers were even at 18.
- With the statistics so close, the individual performances were key. Golightly's ability to play without fouling out was incredible, scoring 17 points on an incredibly efficient 6-of-7 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the three-point line. The Chickasha, Okla. native added five rebounds and three steals.
- Wright and Lexie Ducat each recorded 16 points, with Wright going 8-of-9 from the free throw line. Ducat connected on eight of her 12 shots from the floor, and has scored 56 points in the last three games.
- McLeod had a great bounce-back game Friday with 13 points, three assists, a steal, and four rebounds.

The "Good"-ie Bag of Quotes
Head Coach Julie Goodenough

On the low-scoring, physical play…
"It was such a physical game. I'm so proud of the way we fought through it all, kept our composure, and finished strong. It was tough out there today. But our players just never quit and kept going."

On Dominique Golightly's brilliance…
"That was senior Dominique Golightly today. She played like a veteran and knew exactly how to handle the early fouls. She hit incredibly clutch three-pointers as she always does. It was awesome to see her play that well."

On the significance of the game…
"This was huge for us. Portland is a really good team that plays in a tough league. They are receiving votes in the Top 25 mid-major poll, and we knew it would be a challenge on the road. This was huge for us to cap off the week with a big win for our team."

Up Next
- ACU returns to Moody Coliseum on Thursday, Dec. 5 for a matchup with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane of the American Conference. The teams will meet at 5:30 as part of the "Christmas Slam" doubleheader.