CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The ACU women's basketball team looks to push its winning streak to four on Saturday when it opens a three-game road trip at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Wildcats (18-4, 10-3 SLC) will look to avenge a home loss to the Islanders on Jan. 11 in a top-four showdown in the league at the American Bank Center.
FOLLOW THE GAME
ACU at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi: Saturday, Feb. 15 (1 p.m.)
- Watch: Islanders Digital Network
- Listen: 98.1 The Ticket (Zach Carlyle)
- Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
SERIES HISTORY
- This will be the 14th all-time meeting between ACU and AMCC; the Islanders beat the Wildcats, 70-58, last time out. ACU was held to its lowest shooting percentage of the season (36%) in the defeat.
- ACU leads the series 9-4 and has won seven of the last nine games including all three last season.
- ACU beat Corpus Christi in the 2019 Southland Conference Tournament Championship Game in Katy, Texas, 69-68 to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHLAND SIGNIFICANCE
- With a win on Saturday AND a Lamar loss to Houston Baptist, the Wildcats can clinch a spot in the 2020 Hercules Tires Southland Conference Tournament.
- The Wildcats and Islanders are both tied for third place at 10-3 in league play, and both sit a half-game outside of Sam Houston State (11-3) for second.
- ACU is just 1.5 games out of first place, and a road win Saturday would push the team into sole third place, pending the outcome of other games around the league.
ACU STORYLINES
- STRONG START KEY TO BEATING HBU: ACU led 49-29 at halftime against Houston Baptist after hitting 10 three-pointers in the 20-minute time frame. Despite second-half trouble offensively, the Wildcats held on by 17, 71-54.
- OFFENSIVE SUCCESS: The team ranks 11th in the country in scoring at 79.9 points per game, and the +22.1 scoring margin per game ranks ninth in all of women's college basketball as well. The 47.5% shooting from the field ranks seventh in America, and the 37.2% shooting from distance ranks 12th in the country.
- I CAN DISH IT OUT AND TAKE IT: ACU is 17th in the nation in assists per game (17.0), 70th in assist/turnover ratio (1.1), and 36th in steals per game (10.4).
- MID-MAJOR POLL: ACU checks in at No. 21 in the latest Mid Major Poll, moving down six spots from two week ago. The Wildcats were ranked No. 11 five weeks ago, the highest the team had ever been. The 'Cats have earned key road victories this season. The team topped then-No. 16 Wright State on Nov. 15, won at Portland on Nov. 29, who was receiving votes, and at a then 13-win Sam Houston State team. ACU has been ranked 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 21 this season.
- GOLIGHTLY'S THIRD AWARD: Senior Dominique Golightly averaged 23.0 points per game in the two victories over Northwestern State and Lamar, earning her Southland Conference Player of the Week honors for the third time this season. Golightly was deadly from outside, hitting 10-15 three-pointers in the two victories.
- TRENDING THE RIGHT DIRECTION: After a tough defensive week in the losses to SFA and UIW, the Wildcats found themselves on that end of the floor last week and on Wednesday. ACU allowed just 38% shooting from the floor to Northwestern State, and was particularly impressed against Lamar, allowing just 28% from the floor. The defense turned it up against Houston Baptist, giving up just 54 points and just 31% shooting. The 49 points allowed to Lamar were the least in a Southland Conference game in two seasons.
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI (16-7, 10-3 SLC)
- The Islanders' win in Abilene on Jan. 11 sparked a seven-game winning streak, which ended this past Wednesday in Nacogdoches against Stephen F. Austin. AMCC fell to the Ladyjacks, 72-49.
- Corpus Christi is 8-1 at home this season, but will play at the American Bank Center for just the third time. AMCC is 2-0 at the ABC this season, and is 6-1 at the Dugan Wellness Center.
- Alexes Bryant leads the team in scoring at 12.8 per game, but the team has three players averaging double figures (Dalesia Booth and Emma Coleman-O'Bryan.
- The Islanders are known for their defense, allowing just 57.5 points per game, which ranks 43rd in the nation.
