ACU hosts Dixie State on New Year's Day

GAME #13
Abilene Christian (9-3, 1-0 WAC) vs. Dixie State (5-7, 1-0 WAC)
Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022  |  1 p.m.  |  Teague Special Events Center  |  Abilene, Texas

ABILENE – The ACU women’s basketball team will open up the 2022 calendar the same way they closed the 2021 portion, in the Teague Center. The Wildcats (9-3, 1-0 WAC) will host the Dixie State Trailblazers, who are both coming off of opening wins to the conference schedule on Thursday. The game on New Year's Day tips at 1 p.m., and it will air on ESPN+ and 102.7 The Bear.

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 six straight starts for ACU. The Oklahoma native scored has scored in double digits each of the last nine games, and is averaging 17.0 PPG during that stretch. Bonnarens has hit 23 three-pointers in the last eights games, and is shooting 42.4% (23-53) from deep in that stretch. Bonnarens is coming off a double-double performance against Utah Valley with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
• THREE-POINT PARTY
  • ACU has hit 132 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 50.8 percent of her looks, the 13th-best mark in the country. Mraz has 30 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 480th career win against Utah Valley, and her 191st as the coach at ACU. Goodenough is in her 28th season overall and her 10th with the Wildcats.

SCOUTING DIXIE STATE (5-7, 1-0 WAC)

• The Trailblazers snapped a two-game losing streak with a road win at Tarleton to open WAC play on Thursday, 57-49.
• Two players are averaging double digits in scoring, Breaunna Gillen (16.0) and Emily Isaacson (13.6).

Follow ACU on Social Media
Twitter: @ACUsports | @ACUWBB
Instagram: @acusports | @acuwbb
Facebook: /ACUSports | /ACUWomensBasketball

#GoWildcats