TULSA, Okla. – Trailing by as many as 11 in the third quarter, the ACU women's basketball team did not panic. Instead, they hit a big three at the end of the third, then followed it by outscoring Little Rock 17-5 in the fourth quarter to top the Trojans, 66-61. The win is huge for the Wildcats (4-1), who snap a four-game winning streak over a six-time NCAA Tournament team and a 10-time Sun Belt title team who had defeated Vanderbilt, Memphis, and Auburn before falling to ACU. The Wildcats start 1-0 at the ORU Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Oral Roberts University at the Mabee Center, and will wrap the tournament against Arkansas State on Sunday.
Turning Point: The three-pointer to end the third and the dominant fourth quarter.
ACU trailed by as many as 11, 54-43, with over a minute left in the third quarter. The 'Cats trailed by 10 and had the ball in the final moments of the period, and then
Jamie Bonnarens did her thing. The grad transfer buried a three-pointer with 12 seconds left, and then the ACU defense got a stop to send the game to the fourth. That started the momentum on both sides of the ball for the Wildcats. The team carried the defensive momentum into the fourth and did not allow a point in the final period until the 2:51 mark. In that stretch, ACU went on a 14-0 run and led 60-56 before Little Rock found the basket again. The 'Cats scored 20 of the game's final 25 points on their way to a win.
Key Plays
- 1Q | The game started with a bang and a tone-setter as
Bella Earle drove for a layup and
Kamryn Mraz buried a three to go up 5-0. ACU started the game with a 10-3 lead against a team allowing just 58 points per game.
- 1Q | After the media timeout, Bonnarens hit a three to go up 13-7, ending a quick 4-0 Little Rock run.
- 2Q |
Sarah Griswold hit a big jumper in the paint after an Earle steal to go up 24-22. That sparked an 8-0 run to go up 26-22.
- 3Q | After Little Rock went on a 7-0 run to end the first half and hit a three to start the third quarter,
Tatum Barber hit a free throw after getting fouled to settle things down in the second half.
- 3Q | Barber then hit a three a possession later to get within one, 37-36.
- 3Q | Trailing 54-43, Bonnarens hit another three-pointer, this time a step-back, and made it an eight-point game.
- 3Q | Trailing by 10, 56-46, Bonnarens did it again, this time with the game-changing three, to go down seven. ACU got a stop defensively and trailed by seven going to the fourth quarter.
- 4Q | Barber and Earle got to the foul line to chip into the deficit to start the fourth, and Mraz backed those up with a big three-pointer to put ACU down just one, 56-55.
- 4Q | The run continued with
Madi Miller and
Tatum Barber free throws, then Barber hit a jumper in the paint and all of a sudden it was a four-point lead, 60-56.
- 4Q | ACU then continued to get to the line. Griswold made three of her next four, and Mraz hit one-of-two to go up six, 64-58, with 1:02 remaining.
- 4Q | Barber sealed it with two free throws with seven seconds left to go up five and win the game.
Stat Pack
- After not getting to the free throw line in the first half, ACU went 15-of-22 in the second half at the line. All 15 makes were huge.
- ACU held an ever-so-slightly 33-32 edge in rebounding, and despite allowing 10 offensive boards, only allowed eight second-chance points.
- Bonnarens did her thing again, scoring 16 points, just as she did Tuesday at K-State. The grad transfer hit five three's and now has nine in her last two games.
- Barber scored 13 points with six rebounds, and hit five free throws.
- Mraz tallied 12 points with three makes from downtown.
- Miller led the way with five assists and got five boards too.
- Griswold tallied nine points and added two steals.
- Mraz and
Emma Middleton added two steals apiece.
Up Next
ACU will close the ORU Thanksgiving Classic against the Red Wolves of Arkansas State on Sunday, Nov. 28. Tip-off is again scheduled for 11 a.m. and can be seen on the ORU Athletics site and heard on 102.7 The Bear.
Follow ACU on Social Media
Twitter:
@ACUsports |
@ACUWBB
Instagram:
@acusports |
@acuwbb
Facebook:
/ACUSports |
/ACUWomensBasketball
#GoWildcats
