Women's hoops opens WAC play at home

GAME #12
Abilene Christian (8-3, 0-0 WAC) vs. Utah Valley (5-6, 0-0 WAC)
Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021  |  1 p.m.  |  Teague Special Events Center  |  Abilene, Texas

ABILENE – The ACU women’s basketball team is in the midst of a six-game home stand to close out the 2021 calendar year, and it continues with the WAC opener on Thursday when the Wildcats welcome in Utah Valley. The Wildcats (8-3) will play in their very first WAC game, and will match up with the Wolverines (5-6), who have lost three straight. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN+.

ACU STORYLINES

• #20 IN THE PROGRAM, #1 IN YOUR HEART
  • Grad transfer Jamie Bonnarens has been spectacular this season, and after coming off the bench the first six games, she has made five straight starts for ACU. The Oklahoma native scored has scored in double digits each of the last eight games, and is averaging 17.1 PPG during that stretch. Bonnarens has hit 20 three-pointers in the last seven games, and is shooting 52.6% (20-38) from deep in that stretch. Bonnarens scored a season-high 25 points against ORU, and hauled in a season-best eight rebounds as well.
• A GRISWOLD CHRISTMAS
  • Sarah Griswold is coming off her best performance as a Wildcat against McMurry, tallying 18 points on seven field goals, both new career-bests. The Okarche, Okla. native has scored in double digits in three games this season (12, 13, 15, 18).
• THREE-POINT PARTY
  • ACU has hit 124 three-pointers so far this season, the third-highest mark in the nation. The Wildcats have seven games with double-digit makes from distance. The team ranks 22nd nationally with a 37.0 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.
• GIVIN’ IT MY BESTEST
  • Kamryn Mraz has been outstanding from behind the arc this season. The fourth-year Wildcat is hitting 49.1 percent of her looks, the 13th-best mark in the country. Mraz has 27 makes from downtown, and is hitting 2.5 three’s per game.
• A HELPING HAND
  • ACU dished out 23 assists against UNT Dallas, the most in a game since it had 23 against Northwestern State on Feb. 5, 2020 in Moody Coliseum. The Wildcats went +20 in the assist-to-turnover ratio Sunday. ACU had 23 assists to just three turnovers. The +20 margin is the most in the Division I history of the program, which is now nine years old. The next closest is +18 (27-9) against McNeese on Jan. 9, 2019.
• COACH GOODENOUGH’S MILESTONES
  • Head coach Julie Goodenough earned her 479th career win against UNT Dallas, and her 190th as the coach at ACU. Goodenough is in her 28th season overall and her 10th with the Wildcats.

SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY (5-6, 0-0 WAC)

• Utah Valley is looking to end a three-game losing streak, falling to Montana State, Utah, and Idaho State to wrap up non-conference play.
• Josie Williams and Maria Carvalho are the two leading the way in scoring, averaging 16.2 and 14.6 points per game.

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