TULSA, Okla. – The ACU women’s basketball team wraps up the holiday weekend with a trip to Tulsa to partake in the ORU Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Oral Roberts University. The Wildcats (3-1) open the tournament on Saturday, Nov. 27 against Little Rock before closing the weekend against Arkansas State on Sunday, Nov. 28. Both games against Sun Belt Conference competition will tip at 11 a.m., and both games will air on the radio on 102.7 The Bear.

SERIES HISTORY vs. LITTLE ROCK

This is the first meeting between the schools.

SERIES HISTORY vs. ARKANSAS STATE

This is the first meeting between the schools.

ACU STORYLINES

BONNARENS BIG NIGHT
- Grad transfer Jamie Bonnarens had her biggest night as a Wildcat on Tuesday night at Kansas State. Bonnarens went for 16 points on four makes from the floor and hit 8-of-10 at the foul line, all season-bests. She also added a team-high seven rebounds, also a season-high. Bonnarens was one away from a career-high in free throws made; she hit nine foul shots as a member of Cameron's basketball team against Texas A&M-Kingsville in Feb. 2018.
3-0 START AGAIN
- It is the fifth-straight 3-0 start for the women’s basketball program. The last team to not start 3-0 in a season was the 2016-17 squad, who started 2-1 after a 52-46 loss to the MissourI Tigers in the Preseason Women’s NIT in Columbia, Mo. The 2016-17 team finished 23-9 with a Southland Conference regular season championship and a win over Oklahoma State in the WNIT.
THREE-POINT PARTY
- ACU has hit 44 three-pointers so far this season, including games with 17 and 16 makes, respectively. The Wildcats rank 34th nationally with a 39.6 clip from behind the arc, which was moved back to match the men’s line in the off-season.
NEW FACES
- ACU has 15 players on the roster, the most in the Julie Goodenough era (2012). Included on that roster are eight new players, including three graduate transfers and five freshmen. The team brings in Emma Middleton, Jamie Bonnarens, and Tatum Barber as grad transfers, and freshmen include Bella Earle, Alexis Babineaux, Addison Martin (who will redshirt), Niyah Johnson, and Nykale Cramer.
THE BARBER SHOP
- Grad transfer Tatum Barber is the lone Wildcat to score in double digits in each of the first three games this season. The Georgia Southern transfer increased her total each game, scoring 11 in the opener, 13 against UTSA, and 16 against Angelo State. Barber is shooting 46% from the floor and leads the team with 37 shot attempts from the floor.
UNLIKELY REBOUNDING LEADER?
- Freshman guard Bella Earle has been a star on the glass so far in the young season, leading the team with 20 total boards and a clip of 5.0 per game. The Corinth, Texas native had back-to-back games with seven rebounds against UTSA and Angelo State.
COACH GOODENOUGH’S MILESTONES
- Head coach Julie Goodenough earned her 474th career win against Angelo State, and her 185th as the coach at ACU. Goodenough is in her 28th season overall and her 10th with the Wildcats.

SCOUTING LITTLE ROCK (4-1, 0-0 SUN BELT)

The Trojans are riding a four-game winning streak with victories over Vanderbilt, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Memphis, and Auburn.
Little Rock does it with defense, giving up just 55.6 points per game. While they only score 60 per contest, the defense allows just 37% shooting from the field and forces 17 turnovers per contest.

SCOUTING ARKANSAS STATE (4-2, 0-0 SUN BELT)

The Red Wolves are coming off back-to-back victories over Southeast Missouri and the University of the Ozarks.
A-State averages 84.5 points per game and is shooting 41.8% from the floor.
All five starters are averaging double-digits in scoring, with no one averaging more than 13.0 per game.

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