BEAUMONT, Texas – What a way to end a negative streak. ACU joined the Southland Conference in 2013, but has not played against the Lamar Cardinals twice in a season since the 2015-16 campaign. The Wildcats have never swept the Cardinals… until now. ACU had never won at the Montagne Center… until now. And they did so in dominant fashion. The Wildcats (17-4, 9-3 SLC) went on a 39-9 run in a 17-minute span, and never looked back on their way to an 74-49 victory.
Significance
- With Sam Houston State surviving against Nicholls, ACU stays a half-game out of third place in the Southland Conference standings with eight games to play in the league.
- Head Coach Julie Goodenough earned her 450th career win; the Big Country Hall-of-Famer is now 450-292 in her 26 seasons.
- It was the first-ever win at Lamar and the first-ever season sweep of the Cardinals. Lamar is a four-time conference regular-season champion in the 2010s decade.
Turning Point: The 17 minute stretch from the end of the second quarter to late in the third.
- ACU trailed by as many as six points (17-11) towards the end of the first quarter. The 'Cats got the game tied in the second quarter (22-22), and then the route was on. ACU went on a 13-2 run to close the half, and opened the half by scoring the first 13 points.
- The final tally in a 17-minute stretch was a 39-9 run by ACU.
Key Plays
- Dominique Golightly hit an impressive three-pointer at the end of the first quarter to get ACU within three, 17-14. It was a catch-and-shoot all in one motion at a tough angle to give the Wildcats some momentum going into the second quarter.
- Tied at 22, Alyssa Adams provided a spark with a three-point play the hard way to start the incredible run. Adams had a second three-point play taken away from her on a charge call inside, but would add another later in the first half.
- Leading 25-22, Adams had a second three-point play taken from her on a reverse of a charge/block foul call. However, on the next possession, Makayla Mabry made a pass that was partially deflected and ended up in the hands of Anna McLeod. The junior hit the three in the corner to put ACU up six, 28-22. They got those three points anyway.
- Golightly opened the third period with back-to-back three-pointers, setting the tone for a dominant second half.
- Breanna Wright got in a groove with the give-and-go. The senior had a nice connection going with McLeod, and the two teamed up for three consecutive layups on the right side of the floor.
- When Lamar cut the lead to 19 early in the fourth, ACU responded with a 6-0 burst to go right back up 25 points.
Stat Pack
- The 49 points allowed and the 25% shooting allowed from the floor both are the lowest totals in a conference game since ACU beat Northwestern State on Jan. 13, 2018, 80-41. The Wildcats allowed just 24% shooting to the Lady Demons that night in Abilene.
- Wright finished with her second career double-double, tallying 19 points and 10 rebounds, to go along with four assists.
- Golightly tallied 18 points with five rebounds, and went 6-of-11 from the floor.
- Adams scored 16 points on 5-of-6 from the floor, and went 6-of-6 at the free throw line. The junior hauled in seven boards as well.
- Mabry matched Adams with seven rebounds.
- Anna McLeod, who scored 15 points against Lamar the first time around, likes playing the Cardinals after tallying 14 more points Saturday. The Houston native matched Wright with a team-best four assists.
- ACU hit eight three-pointers, and went 15-of-18 at the foul line.
Up Next
- ACU heads back home for a matchup with Houston Baptist next Wednesday, Feb. 12. The doubleheader in Moody Coliseum gets underway at 5:30 p.m., and can be seen on ESPN+, and heard on 98.1 The Ticket.
