ABILENE -
Payton Hull became the ninth Wildcat in the Division I era to reach the 1,000-point milestone as Abilene Christian women's basketball cruised to a 112-60 win over McMurry at Moody Coliseum on Tuesday afternoon. It's the most points the Wildcats have scored in a game as a DI program and the most since 2008-09.
ACU played in front of a crowd of 1,500 as it hosted Field Trip Day, presented by Domino's Pizza, for local elementary school students from 12 different schools in the Big Country.
Next, the Wildcats hit the road to play East Texas A&M at the Field House in Commerce, Texas at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
ACU registered its second-highest field goal percentage of the season at .583, including a .357 mark from three-point range. The Wildcats limited the War Hawks to a .351 shooting percentage and a .200 clip from beyond the arc. It's the first time ACU has scored 100-plus points in two or more games in a season since the 2019-20 campaign.
Hull spearheaded ACU's offense with a season-high 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting, falling one field goal short of matching her career best. It's the eighth time in her career she has hit double-digit field goals. Hull is the fastest player in the Wildcats' DI history to score 1,000 points, doing so in her 60th game. The previous fastest was the program's leading scorer, Alexis Mason, who did so in 77 games.
The Peaster, Texas product knocked down four three-pointers with five rebounds and five assists.
Meredith Mayes complemented her with her second double-double of the season, tallying 20 points and 13 rebounds. The Western Athletic Conference's leader in field goal percentage hit nine of 11 shots and committed no turnovers.
Natalia Chavez, making her first start of the season in place of
Emma Troxell, recorded 17 points, while
Erin Woodson added 14. Both players collected five rebounds, three steals and a block.
Breanna Davis matched her career best of seven assists and
Jazmyn Stone scored a season-high eight points with four assists.
The Wildcats set the tone early, taking a 34-13 lead over the War Hawks through the first quarter. Hull and Chavez combined for 23 points, sinking eight of 10 shots with a 3-of-5 mark from long distance. They reeled in four rebounds apiece as ACU held McMurry to a 5-of-17 clip from the field while shooting .600 at 12 of 20 itself. The Wildcats ended the period on an 11-0 scoring run.
ACU kept its foot on the gas offensively to take a 66-35 lead into halftime. Hull and Woodson totaled 15 points in the second quarter as the Wildcats outscored the War Hawks, 32-22. ACU continued its hot shooting with a .625 mark in the period. It made eight of 18 three-point attempts and each of its 14 free throws in the second quarter.
The Wildcats engineered their most efficient performance in the third quarter, knocking down 12 of 17 field goal attempts at a .706 mark. Mayes made each of her four shots, while Hull and Chavez were a combined 4 of 5.
ACU's defense was at its best in the fourth quarter as it limited McMurry to just four points. The War Hawks made just one of 13 field goal tries and were 0 of 7 from beyond the arc. It's the fewest points the Wildcats have surrendered in a quarter since a 95-38 win over Southwest (NM) to open the 2024-25 season.
