ABILENE — Four players scored in double digits, six players scored at least seven points, and the ACU women's basketball team ran away with a 30-point home win over McMurry to wrap up the non-conference schedule on Wednesday afternoon. The Wildcats (6-5) led by eight early and pulled away for an 82-52 victory over the War Hawks, who have had quite the turnaround under second-year head coach Drew Long.
Addison Martin set a new season and career-high in points,
Raychael Harjo played well off the bench, and
Maleeah Langstaff tallied another double-double to lead the way in scoring for the 'Cats. ACU heads into Christmas break over .500, and will now have eight days until it opens conference play at Tarleton on Dec. 29.
Key Plays
- Super senior Madi Miller got the day started with back-to-back triples, setting the tone for the 10 three-pointers made Wednesday.
- Bella Earle's three-pointer pushed the early lead to 11-3, and the game would not get closer than six points the rest of the day.
- ACU led 19-11 at the end of the first quarter, and held McMurry to 3-10 shooting through the first 10 minutes.
- Earle banged home a three to open the second quarter, pushing the lead back to 11.
- Claire Graham started to show her strength, hitting three from the outside in the first half. The local product out of Tuscola gave ACU a 16-point lead, 27-11.
- Harjo got going with her mid-range game, hitting a pair of jumpers in the middle of the zone defense. Her bucket with 5:21 to go in the first half gave ACU a 34-16 lead.
- Zoe Jackson has been clutch late in the first half of games a few times this season, and did it again with a steal and a basket in transition with 21 seconds left to give ACU a 17-point, 42-25 lead at the break.
- It was a slow third quarter, but ACU finally pushed the lead over 20 with 2:20 in the third with a Martin layup in the paint. The redshirt freshman bullied the competition inside all afternoon.
- Maleeah Langstaff buried a three at the end of the third to put the 'Cats in front by 24 going to the fourth.
- Martin kept going in the fourth with a couple of and-one baskets inside, pushing the lead to 27, 69-42, with 6:59 to play in the game.
- Graham hit her fourth three with 4:11 to play, and the lead was 76-50.
- Harjo's jumper put the lead at 30, where it would finish when the clock hit all zeros.
Turning Point
ACU's 13-4 start to the game set the tone, and despite the slower third quarter, the lead never got minimized much throughout the game.
Stat Pack
- Harjo led the way with 16 points, her third game of the season with double-digit points. The sophomore went 6-8 from the field and 4-4 from the foul line, and added six rebounds.
- Martin set a new career-high with 15 points on 6-11 from the field, and added six rebounds as well.
- Graham's 12 points are a new best, hitting four from distance to go along with a pair of assists.
- Langstaff rounded out the players in double figures with 11 points, and tallied her second-straight double-double with 10 rebounds.
- Miller dropped in nine points to go with three rebounds.
- Earle scored seven and hauled in five boards, while Thornton, Jackson, and Brooke Jessen all scored four.
- ACU shot 45% from the floor and hit 10 three-pointers, the third-consecutive double-digit three-pointer game for the team and fifth of the season.
- ACU out-rebounded McMurry 45-23, the sixth game of the year with 40+ boards.
Up Next
The Wildcats head into Christmas over .500 for the the sixth-straight season, and will open WAC play on Dec. 29 against Tarleton in Stephenville. The game tips at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
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