CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Senior
Breanna Wright scored 20 points, junior
Anna McLeod scored 15 points, but the ACU women's basketball team fell on the road to the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday afternoon at the American Bank Center, 68-59. Despite holding a slim two-point halftime lead, the home team shot 54% from the floor to move a game ahead of ACU (18-5, 10-4 SLC) in the Southland Conference.
Southland Significance
- SFA (12-2) remains at the top with a bye week, while AMCC moves into a tie for second place with Sam Houston State at 11-3. ACU, at 10-4, still has games remaining with SFA and SHSU, with both coming at home at the end of February.
- ACU, in fourth place, sits a game ahead of fifth-place New Orleans. The top four teams in the upcoming Hercules Tires Southland Conference Tournament get a first-round bye in Katy, Texas.
Turning Point: The four-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
- The game was close the whole way Saturday. Neither team had larger than a four-point lead until the final four minutes. Corpus Christi went up 60-54 at the 3:13 mark, after leading 58-52 moments earlier.
- ACU, down six, got a steal by Dominique Golightly, and it turned into a Breanna Wright three-pointer at the top of the key to get the Wildcats within three, 60-57. The ensuing possessions were key.
- ACU got a stop on a defensive rebound, but after a stoppage, ACU had to inbound against a full-court press. The ball got away from Golightly in a double-team, and AMCC got possession right back. The Islanders took advantage with a layup with 57 seconds remaining, and ACU had to play catch-up the rest of the way.
Key Plays
- Anna McLeod hit a three-pointer early in the second quarter and followed it up with a fast-break layup to score five straight points. The junior had the best first half of her season, scoring all 15 of her points.
- Wright and McLeod went back-to-back towards the end of the first half to go up four points, but Corpus answered with a mid-range jumper with three seconds left to give ACU a 33-31 lead at halftime.
- ACU trailed 48-46 at the end of the third period, and did not gain the lead in the fourth quarter.
Stat Pack
- Saturday marked the first time this season ACU lost a game in which it led at halftime (16-1).
- There were a grand total of 18 free throw attempts in the game; ACU was just 6-of-7 at the line.
- The Wildcats shot well from the floor (44%, 22-50), and connected from the three-point line (9-20, 45%), but turned it over 18 times.
- The Islanders shot 54% from the floor and scored 28 two-point baskets compared to just one three-pointer.
- Wright added another 20-point game to her incredible career, and became the all-time leader in career starts at the Division I level in ACU history (117).
- McLeod's 15 points came on 5-of-11 from the floor including 3-of-6 from distance.
- Alyssa Adams came off the bench to score seven points, matching Dominique Golightly.
Up Next
- The three-game road trip continues next week with games at Houston Baptist and Southeastern Louisiana. The quick rematch with the Huskies takes place Wednesday, Feb. 19 in Houston. ACU goes for season sweeps against both teams, with the game against the Lady Lions slated for Saturday, Feb. 22 in Hammond, La.
