ABILENE – Kamryn Mraz cashed in a career-best six three-pointers,
Emma Middleton added 14 points off the bench, but the ACU women's basketball team fell at the hands of WAC regular -season champion SFA on Saturday afternoon at the Teague Center, 80-62. The Wildcats (16-10, 8-7 WAC) got the deficit down to nine points in the fourth quarter, but SFA (25-3, 16-0) moved its NCAA-best winning streak to 17 games with an 11-2 run to close the game. ACU remains in fifth place in the league standings heading into its quick turnaround game on Monday night in Beaumont, Texas against Lamar. The 'Cats sit a half game out of Utah Valley (9-7) for that coveted fourth place ahead of the WAC Tournament. ACU honored its six seniors after the game, recognizing the careers of Mraz, Middleton,
Jamie Bonnarens,
Madi Miller,
Tatum Barber, and
Paige Emborsky.
Turning Point: SFA's early lead, fourth-quarter closeout
The Ladyjacks scored the first five points of the game and ultimately led by as many as eight in the frame. ACU played from behind the entire way, and despite trailing by double-digits, got it to within nine points in the fourth quarter after Mraz's sixth trifecta. Trailing 69-60 with 4:41 to go, SFA scored 11 of the final 13 points to go away, 80-62.
Key Plays
- 1Q | Mraz, making her first start in a few games at the point guard position, scored ACU's first points of the game with a three-pointer.
- 1Q | Bonnarens got her first points on a jumper to cut the early deficit to 9-7.
- 1Q | Freshman
Bella Earle hit a three-pointer with 3:34 to go get ACU back within five, 16-11.
- 2Q | Mraz's second three cut the deficit to six, 24-18, early in the frame.
- 3Q | Trailing by 12, Mraz stuck another three-pointer to get it back to single digits, trailing 46-37.
- 4Q | ACU trailed by 17 going to the fourth quarter. Miller then hit a three, Middleton scored inside, and Mraz cashed another one to trail by 11, 68-57.
- 4Q | Mraz's sixth from downtown cut it to nine, 69-60.
Stat Pack
- Mraz's six three's are a career-best, and her 18 points are a new season-best, and one away from her career-high.
- Middleton dropped 14 off the bench, her second-best total of the season, on 5-of-9 shooting.
- Bonnarens scored 10 to extend her double-digit scoring streak to seven.
- Barber snagged a team-high 10 boards.
- Earle dished out a team-high four assists and scored six points.
Up Next
ACU has the busiest possible final week of the season. The Wildcats will play their rescheduled game against Lamar on Monday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. The team then heads to Utah for a date with Dixie State on Wednesday, March 2, before closing the regular season next Saturday, March 5 at Tarleton.
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