STEPHENVILLE, Texas -
Payton Hull poured in an Abilene Christian Division I-record 36 points to fuel the Wildcats' fourth-quarter comeback in a 72-67 win over Tarleton State at the EECU Center on Saturday. Hull registered the most points by an ACU student-athlete since Mack Lankford dropped 38 on Feb. 19, 2012.
The Wildcats face just one game next week as they prepare for the final stretch of Western Athletic Conference play. ACU heads to Cedar City, Utah to take on Southern Utah at 3 p.m. (CT) on Sunday, Feb. 22. The Thunderbirds are currently third in the conference standings.
Hull became the third Wildcat in the Division I era to score 30 points or more on three occasions, joining Breanna Wright and program scoring leader Alexis Mason, and doing so for the first time since her freshman season. She helped ACU come back from a six-point deficit entering the final period.
Hull's 36 points are the most in a game in the WAC this season. The reigning Jersey Mike's A Sub Above WAC Player of the Week paces the conference in scoring at 18.8 points per game, and her 12 20-point games lead the WAC. Hull is averaging 25.8 points in her last six games with 20 points or more in six of her last eight games.
The Peaster, Texas product hit half her shots at a 9-of-18 clip, including a 5-of-9 mark from three-point range. Hull was nearly perfect from the free throw line, connecting on a career-best 13 of 14 attempts. She added five rebounds and a team-high three steals while playing the entire 40 minutes.
Fifteen of Hull's points came in the third quarter with 24 in the second half. Her 13 free throws are the second-most in the conference this season.
Breanna Davis complemented Hull with a season-high 12 points on 3-of-6 shooting.
Natalia Chavez and
Erin Woodson combined for 17 points, with Woodson grabbing a pair of steals. The do-it-all
Emma Troxell brought down a team-high six rebounds.
ACU capped a regular season sweep of Tarleton State, with each win coming by an average of 4.3 points. The Wildcats earned their first win in Stephenville since 2022 and improved to 10-3 in WAC action.
The Texans asserted themselves in the early going with a 37-32 edge at halftime after outscoring the Wildcats 19-14 in the first quarter with a 10-0 run. Tarleton State scored eight straight points to lead by as much as nine with 2:28 to go in the half. ACU answered with a 7-2 rally, with Troxell adding a layup at the buzzer. Hull powered ACU with 12 points and two steals at the break.
The Texans stretched their lead to 56-50 through three quarters as both teams made at least half their shots in the third period. Hull was responsible for 15 of the Wildcats' 18 points, going 4 of 6 from the field with two three-pointers and five free throws. She drew four fouls to make her way to the charity stripe.
Hull and Davis came together to rally ACU in the final 10 minutes, combining for 17 points and an 8-of-8 free throw performance. The Wildcats opened the quarter on an 11-1 run, capped by a Chavez three-pointer. Tarleton State tied the game at 67, but a Hull three-pointer with 3:30 to play gave ACU a lead it wouldn't let go of. The Wildcats outscored the Texans, 22-11.
