ABILENE — Five players scored in double figures,
Addison Martin finished a rebound shy of a double-double, and the ACU women's basketball team kept its undefeated start in Moody Coliseum in check Friday night with a 78-67 victory over Alabama State. The Wildcats (4-3) outscored the Lady Hornets (0-6) 48-26 in the second and third quarters, and held on in the fourth to win by double digits and to get back in the win column. The three-point shot was alive and well for the 'Cats, as ACU knocked down 13 triples en route to the 11-point victory. ACU moves to 3-0 in the newly renovated home arena, and will now head out on the road for the next two before returning to Abilene Dec. 19.
Key Plays
- ACU did not get off to a good start, trailing 11-2 at the 6:27 mark. However, the 'Cats went on a 9-0 run fueled by four points from Addison Martin, a pair of layups from Aspen Thornton and Madi Miller, including Miller's and-one. The game was tied a little more than two minutes later, 11-11.
- Alabama State went on a 6-0 run after that and led 17-11 with 1:59 to go in the period. The entire quarter was streaking, as ACU closed with a three from Maleeah Langstaff, and trailed 19-16 at the end of the period.
- Down 21-16 at the 8:38 mark of the second quarter, the Wildcats would go on one final run to get the lead they would never surrender. Martin scored in the paint, and moments later Langstaff hit another triple to tie it up at 21. That was all she wrote. Langstaff hit another three-pointer on the next possession, and ACU was in front for good.
- After Langstaff scored eight consecutive points for ACU, Martin and Bella Earle combined for the next five, and the lead was six, 31-25.
- Earle hit a three to blossom the lead to nine, 36-27, with 2:02 to play in the half, and Langstaff would make sure it stayed a nine-point lead at the break, 38-29, with a layup.
- It was Miller's turn in the third quarter. The fifth-year scored the first 11 points of the third for the home team to open up a 49-34 lead with a trio of three's and a layup inside. The tied was turning into an ACU blowout.
- Earle then scored the next seven in a row, continuing the weird game of streaks Friday night. The lead was all the way to 15, 58-43, and blossed to 21 with back-to-back triples from freshman Claire Graham.
- Alabama State fought back in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 12, 68-56, with 4:13 to go, but it would not be enough. Miller and Aspen Thornton hit a pair of three-pointers to answer the bell, and the lead was right back to 16, and the Lady Hornets could not make another push at it, and the Wildcats held on by 11.
Turning Point
The 'Cats trailed 19-16 at the end of the first quarter. However, the second and third quarters were all ACU, as the home team tallied 48 points and allowed just 26. Included in that stretch was 10-17 shooting from distance and 58% shooting from the floor. ACU led by as many as 21 early in the fourth because of that 20-minute stretch.
Stat Pack
- ACU shot 46% from the floor, the second-highest shooting percentage of the season. The 13 three-pointers are the most in a game this year, and the second time the team hit double digits from the outside.
- Five players scored in double figures, the most in a game this season. Miller keeps her nice stretch going with 17 more points on 6-10 shooting, including four makes from distance. The four three-pointers match a career-high, giving her now seven times in her career she's hit that mark. Miller added six rebounds and three assists.
- Langstaff has now scored in double digits in six consecutive games with 16 more on Friday on 6-11 shooting. The forward hit three from downtown, a new career mark, and added six boards with three assists and a pair of blocks.
- Earle dropped in 15, a new season-best, and hit all three of her attempts from downtown, matching a career number for the fifth time. Despite fouling out, Earle added a pair of assists with a pair of rebounds.
- Martin dropped home a dozen points with nine boards, just missing her first career double-double. The forward blocked a season-best three shots as well, and dished out a trio of assists.
- Thornton rounded out all five starters in double digits with 10 points, and added three boards with a pair of helpers. The 10 points is the best in an ACU uniform for the Ouachita Baptist transfer.
- Graham scored six off the bench in just 10 minutes as well.
- ACU out-rebounded Alabama State, 35-32, and held the Lady Hornets to just eight offensive rebounds while hauling in 26 on the defensive side.
Up Next
The Wildcats will hit the road next Wednesday, Dec. 7 to Albuquerque, N.M. to battle the Lobos of the University of New Mexico. It is an 8 p.m. tip local time (7 p.m. MT), and the game will air on the Mountain West Network. It will be the inaugurual meeting between the 'Cats and the Lobos.
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