ABILENE - Abilene Christian women's basketball was fueled by
Emma Troxell's 19 points as it grinded out a 69-56 win over Incarnate Word at Moody Coliseum on Friday night. Troxell finished one point shy of matching her career best and led the Wildcats with nine rebounds and two steals.
ACU is back in action versus UT Rio Grande Valley at Moody Coliseum at 6 p.m. Tuesday for its Salute to Service game. Wildcat men's basketball will play earlier in the afternoon at 3 p.m. against Southwestern Adventist in its Faculty and Staff Appreciation game.
The Wildcats limited the Cardinals to a .367 shooting percentage while scoring at a .368 clip themselves. UIW hit five of 18 three-point attempts at a .278 mark and turned the ball over 22 times. ACU notched 10 steals and has forced 62 turnovers through two games this season.
Troxell knocked down seven of 13 shots with a pair of makes from long distance. Four of her nine boards were on the offensive end as the Wildcats recorded 25 second-chance points.
Erin Woodson was right behind Troxell with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Meredith Mayes and
Payton Hull registered 14 points and six rebounds each, with Mayes nailing seven of 10 shots with five boards on the offensive glass. She had one of ACU's three blocks.
Defense ruled in the first quarter as ACU and UIW shot .250 and .200, respectively. The Cardinals made three of 15 shots and just one of nine attempts from beyond the arc. Troxell provided four points and four rebounds for the Wildcats, who got out to a slim 12-10 lead through 10 minutes.
ACU took a 31-24 advantage into halftime after outscoring UIW 19-14 in the second quarter, the largest scoring margin in each of the game's periods. Hull earned half of her scoring with seven points, while Troxell and Woodson tallied five apiece. The Wildcats registered a .368 shooting percentage in the quarter.
The Wildcats engineered their most efficient offensive showing in the third quarter, scoring at a .435 clip as Mayes and Troxell combined for 15 of ACU's 21 points. The duo sank seven of 10 attempts. The Cardinals responded with their most productive period as well with 17 points.
ACU held UIW at bay for the final quarter, withstanding a 10-2 rally by the Cardinals that got them within three points at 54-51. The Wildcats answered with a 14-0 run of their own that pushed them ahead by as much as 17 at 68-51.
Woodson spearheaded the ACU offense with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, while Troxell came up with a pair of clutch steals.
