ACU meets Nicholls for first time in SLC second round

KATY, Texas – The No. 7 seed ACU women's basketball team will play its second game of the 2021 Hercules Tires Southland Conference Tournament on Thursday afternoon. The Wildcats (14-9, 6-7 SLC) takes on the No. 6 seed Nicholls Colonels for the right to play No. 3 seed Sam Houston in the quarterfinal on Friday. ACU and Nicholls (10-13, 9-7 SLC) did not meet in the regular season with the adjustment to the league schedule, and will play for the first time in 16 months on Thursday. It will be the second game of the day, tipping at 2 p.m., and can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on 102.7 The Bear.

FOLLOW THE GAME

SERIES HISTORY

This will be the eighth meeting between the schools, with ACU holding a 5-2 edge. They don't play one another very often, but the Wildcats have won two straight in the series. It will be the first postseason matchup between the teams. The last time they met was in December 2019 when Breanna Wright hit a three-pointer to tie the game in Thibodaux, La. to send it to overtime, and the 'Cats pulled away in the extra period to win, 95-84.

ACU STORYLINES

• ROUND ONE WIN: ACU picked up an 81-70 win over UIW to open the tournament on Wednesday, and Anna McLeod matched a career-high with 28 points, and Alyssa Adams and Sarah Griswold combined for 22 points inside. ACU and UIW went back and forth in scoring for a majority of the game, but the 'Cats pulled away with an 11-0 run late in the third and into the fourth quarter.
• OUR TOURNAMENT HISTORY: ACU punched its ticket to its fourth-consecutive Southland Conference Tournament, and holds a now 5-1 all-time record in Katy. ACU is 2-0 in the first round, defeating New Orleans in the 2018 before falling to Central Arkansas in the quarterfinals, and then winning on Wednesday over UIW. In 2019, the Wildcats won three games in three days, beating UCA, Lamar, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to claim the team's first Southland Conference Tournament Championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. ACU qualified at the No. 3 seed in 2020 before the tourney was canceled due to COVID-19.
• ALL-CONFERENCE: Seniors Anna McLeod and Alyssa Adams were both named to the All-Southland second team on Tuesday. McLeod averaged 14.5 points per game in league competition this year, the seventh-highest total in the league, and hauled in 6.2 rebounds per game as well. McLeod totaled 10 double-digit scoring efforts and two 20-point games against league competition, and recorded back-to-back double-doubles against Lamar (28-11) and Houston Baptist (19-12). Adams was dominant on the inside, averaged 14.2 points per game against conference opponents, and hauling in a conference-best 9.6 rebounds per game. The San Antonio native tallied three double-doubles against league opponents and has eight double-digit scoring games, including three 20-point efforts. She secured 22 rebounds against Lamar, and a season-high 28 points against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
• CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOKS: Alyssa Adams ranks second in ACU's Division I history in career field goal percentage (51.7) and has just tied Sara Williamson for second on the blocked shots list with 81. Suzzy Dimba (2013-17) has a ridiculous 194 in her one-of-a-kind career, sitting in the top spot.

SCOUTING NICHOLLS (10-13, 9-7 SLC)

• The Colonels are making their 13th appearance all-time in the Southland Conference Tournament and 10th straight.
• With the field expanded to 10 teams, Nicholls (10-13) earned a bye into the second round after finishing 9-7 in league play, and claimed its 10th win on the season with its thrilling come-from-behind victory against McNeese in the final last Wednesday.
• The Colonels enter the postseason winners of three of their last four outings. Before the previous two tournaments, Nicholls reeled off seven straight wins to close out the regular season.
• DoBee Plaisance's squad is led by sophomore Chelsea Cain, who was named All-Southland First Team after averaging 16.8 points and 8.3 boards.