ABILENE — Aspen Thornton led the way with 17 points,
Madi Miller scored 12, and the ACU women's basketball team put together one of the gutsier performances you will see, falling 71-61 on the road without two players at a good New Mexico team out of the Mountain West Conference. The Wildcats (4-4) were within 10 points nearly the entire night Wednesday, and did so without the disposal of
Bella Earle and
Raychael Harjo, who did not make the trip due to illness and injury. ACU fought til the very end, and out-rebounded a taller Lobos (5-4) team on the road. The Wildcats will continue their road trip on Sunday at Oral Roberts.
Key Plays
- New Mexico got out to an 8-0 lead right away, but ACU responded with five in a row, including the first three of the game for the 'Cats from Thornton. The Wildcat point guard made the most of her opportunities Wednesday night.
- ACU trailed 21-10 with 2:08 left in the first quarter, and then Thornton and Addison Martin combined for a pair of buckets, and Madi Miller hit a pair of free throws to put ACU down 24-16 at the end of one.
- New Mexico outscored ACU 13-12 in the second quarter, and the teams went back and forth trading missed shots. ACU went just 4-14 in the frame, and missed all five three-point attempts. UNM went 3-13 in the period, and hit one of their six shots from distance.
- Claire Graham got a bucket to fall early in the third to cut it to a seven-point deficit, 39-32, and then ended a three-minute scoring drought with a jumper to make it a four-point game, 39-34.
- Thornton hit another three to get it to two, 39-37, the smallest deficit since the first quarter.
- New Mexico brought it back up to a 44-39 lead, and then Thornton took over again. The sophomore drove to the paint and scored with a foul, and converted on a three-point play. She then converted on a tough finish inside, and the game was tied at 44.
- After UNM re-took the lead by two, Miller hit the team's biggest three to give the 'Cats their first lead of the night, 47-46, with 1:03 to play in the third quarter.
- The Lobos went on a quick 5-0 run to end the quarter, and then opened the fourth with a 7-0 run to lead 58-47, and immediately took all the momentum away from ACU, forcing a Julie Goodenough timeout.
- ACU got it to within nine with 5:39 to play, but a pair of free throws pushed the lead back to double digits for New Mexico, and it stayed there the remainder of the game.
Turning Point
The 12-0 stretch over the course of 3:34 that started in the final minute of the third and the first two of the fourth was the deciding factor in the game. UNM built the lead back up to double digits, and it stayed there the rest of the way.
Stat Pack
- ACU shot 39% from the floor, and 32% from distance. ACU hit 9 of its 12 free throw attempts as well.
- Thornton dropped 17 points on 7-16 shooting, both season-bests. She added four rebounds and three assists Wednesday.
- Miller added 12 points on 4-11 from the floor, and added three boards and a pair of helpers. Miller played 39 minutes Wednesday, a season-most.
- Addison Martin played 37 minutes, and scored eight points to go with eight rebounds.
- Graham, making her first career start, scored eight points on 4-7 shooting, and added seven rebounds.
- Zoe Jackson scored seven points off the bench, while Maleeah Langstaff scored six points, while playing 39 minutes.
- ACU held a 37-34 edge in rebounding against a tall UNM team.
Up Next
The Wildcats will wrap the road trip on Sunday, Dec. 11 in Tulsa, Okla. against Oral Roberts University. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m., and the game will air on the ORU Sports Network.
Follow ACU Women's Basketball on Social Media
Twitter: @ACUWBB | @ACUsports
Instagram: @acuwbb | @acusports
Facebook: /ACUWomensBasketball | /ACUSports
#GoWildcats
