ABILENE - Despite a winter storm rolling through the Big Country, Abilene Christian women's basketball will look to stay hot when it hosts Tarleton State in the latest installment of the I-20 Rivalry at 6 p.m. Monday at Moody Coliseum. The game was previously scheduled for Saturday but was pushed back due to inclement weather.
The Western Athletic Conference's hottest teams will face off as the Wildcats, winners of four in a row, take on a Texan squad that has won its last three games. ACU has come out on top in eight of its last nine contests, wrapping up the first round of conference play at the top of the WAC standings with a 5-1 mark.
It's the Wildcats' best entrance to conference action since 2019-20. ACU has relied on its home-court advantage with a 10-0 record at Moody Coliseum, its hottest start since the 2015-16 team went 14-0. The Wildcats have won their last 16 home games dating back to last season, as well as their last four matchups versus Tarleton State in Abilene.
The Wildcats haven't missed a beat in the absence of leading rebounder and second-leading scorer
Meredith Mayes. In its last time out on Jan. 17, ACU captured a dominant 82-54 victory over Southern Utah with four double-digit scorers. The Wildcats connected on 51.6% of their shots, including a 6-of-10 mark from three-point range, and forced 23 turnovers.
Mayes' .682 field goal percentage ranks second in the nation. On Wednesday, she was one of 15 players named to the midseason watch list for the
Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats.
WATCH: Head Coach Julie Goodenough Talks With Andy Katz on WAC Chat
ACU pulled out a 64-59 win in its first meeting with Tarleton State on Jan. 8 at Moody Coliseum. The Wildcats never trailed in the contest, but relied on four clutch free throws in the final minute by
Payton Hull to grind out the victory. She scored 13 points with six steals, while
Erin Woodson registered 10 points and nine rebounds.
Woodson became the third Wildcat to earn
Jersey Mike's A Sub Above WAC Player of the Week honors after leading ACU to wins over conference leaders California Baptist and Southern Utah last week. She totaled 39 points on 12-of-25 shooting and 14 rebounds. Woodson knocked down each of her 11 free throw tries.
