ABILENE -
Meredith Mayes tied her career best with 24 points to lead Abilene Christian women's basketball to a 60-48 win over Montana at Moody Coliseum on Friday night. The Wildcats improved to an undefeated 5-0 at home this season as they kicked off the inaugural ACU Christmas Classic.
ACU closes out the event at 3 p.m. Saturday at Moody Coliseum against another first-time opponent in Buffalo. The Bulls fell on Friday night to Tarleton State, 70-65.
The Wildcats made a trio of three-pointers, their fewest in a game this season, but scored 36 points in the paint and went 15 of 23 from the free throw line. They held the Lady Griz to a .340 shooting percentage with a .238 mark from long distance. It's the fewest points ACU has allowed by a Division I opponent this season.
Mayes matched her career highs with 11 field goals and 15 attempts, adding nine rebounds, two steals and one block. The Western Athletic Conference's leader in field goal percentage raised her clip to .697 while averaging 15.4 points per game.
Payton Hull and
Erin Woodson scored 14 and 11 points, respectively, and combined for 11 boards and five assists. Hull came away with two steals, while Woodson sank a career-best seven free throws.
Emma Troxell finished one point shy of a double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds to tie her career high on the glass.
Montana gained the upper hand through the first quarter with a 21-17 lead. The Wildcats made seven of 16 shots, but the Lady Griz built their most productive period with a 9-of-13 showing from the field. After both teams jumped to a 4-4 tie, Montana rattled off nine points in a row to grab a 13-4 edge.
ACU committed no turnovers in the quarter, with Mayes leading the way with eight points on perfect 4 of 4 shooting. She scored six points in the final four minutes, including a layup at the buzzer, to close the gap to four points.
The Wildcats responded with their top defensive showing in the second quarter, holding the Lady Griz to just six points and a 1-of-14 effort from the field. Mayes' second-chance layup with 3:13 to go gave ACU a lead it wouldn't lose for the rest of the game as it took a 29-27 advantage into halftime. Hull scored seven points in the period along with three rebounds and a steal.
ACU's defense stepped up again after halftime, limiting Montana to nine points on 3-of-14 shooting in the third quarter. Troxell scored seven of her nine points in the period while bringing down four rebounds. The Wildcats took a 46-36 lead into the final quarter.
The Wildcats held the Lady Griz at bay in the fourth quarter after Montana got within seven points with 4:36 to go. Mayes closed out the game on a high note, scoring eight of ACU's 14 points in the final period with four rebounds.
