ACU's Season Closes in WNIT Super 16 at Illinois State

Friday, March 27

Normal, Ill.

6:30 p.m. (CT)

Abilene Christian

24-11,13-5WAC

Illinois State

22-13,13-7MVC

Abilene Christian

Illinois St.

Photo by: Luke White

ACU's Season Closes in WNIT Super 16 at Illinois State

3/27/2026 11:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Luke White

NORMAL, Ill. - Abilene Christian women's basketball's 2025-26 campaign came to a close with a 59-55 loss to Illinois State at CEFCU Arena on Friday night. The Wildcats fell in the Postseason WNIT's Super 16 round to match their deepest postseason run in the Division I era.

ACU was on the wrong end of a comeback after grabbing a 10-point lead with eight minutes remaining. The Redbirds outscored the Wildcats 20-10 in the fourth quarter and 9-0 in the game's final three minutes.

Payton Hull capped a sensational junior season by reaching the 1,500-career-point milestone, becoming the third DI Wildcat to do so. She scored 17 points on seven made field goals and a trio of three-pointers with a pair of steals.

Hull registered the most points in a season in ACU's DI era with 639 and the most field goals with 218. Her 93 steals are also good for the most in a season. Hull ranks fourth with 83 three-pointers, third with 120 free throws and 1,163 minutes played and 10th with 107 assists. She scored 10 or more points and recorded a steal in all but one game this season.

Fellow juniors Erin Woodson and Emma Troxell followed with 12 points apiece on 5-of-10 shooting for both. Woodson blocked a career-best three shots and brought down nine rebounds. With seven boards, Troxell fell one shy of reaching 500 career rebounds. She dished out three assists.

Woodson tallied the fourth-most points in an ACU DI season with 493 and made the third-most field goals with 170. Her 67 steals rank fifth and her 109 free throws are seventh. With 1,176 minutes played, Woodson was one point shy of matching the Wildcats' DI record. Troxell ranked seventh with 61 steals.

In the final game of her senior season, Breanna Davis scored eight points with a 3-of-6 mark from the field and a 2-of-3 clip from beyond the arc. She led the team with four assists.

ACU knocked down seven of 12 shots in the first quarter to grab a 17-13 lead behind eight points on 3-of-3 shooting by Davis. Both teams remained even as the Wildcats entered halftime in front, 28-26. ACU created separation in the third quarter in outscoring the Redbirds, 17-13. Troxell and Hull totaled 15 points for the Wildcats as they took a 45-39 edge.

ACU established its biggest lead of the second half at 51-41 three and a half minutes into the fourth quarter. Illinois State came to life the rest of the way, ending the game on an 18-4 run.