Photo GalleryHOUSTON – HBU held a 14-point lead with 9 ½ minutes to go in regulation, but visiting Abilene Christian closed out the game on a 23-3 run in a 53-50 ACU victory Thursday evening in Sharp Gym.
Monet Neal scored a team-high nine points and pulled down 13 rebounds for HBU (8-11 overall, 2-6 SLC), while
Anna Strickland grabbed a game-high 17 boards – one shy of her career high – and chipped in with six points.
Tayler Jefferson and
Heidi Sihvola each scored eight points.
Ashleigh Nwanguma had six points, five rebounds, and two blocks.
Suzzy Dimba, Whitney West, and Alexis Mason each scored 12 points for ACU (11-8 overall, 3-5 SLC). S. Dimba and Lizzy Dimba each pulled down a team-best eight rebounds.
ACU led by as many as eight at the 12-minute mark of the opening half. Down 20-12 with 12:08 to go, HBU closed the first half on a 16-2 run, as the only points scored by the Wildcats were a pair of free throws by L. Dimba with 25 seconds remaining. A layup by Arthur tied the game at 20-all with 4:12 to go. A steal and a layup by
Ekemini Essien gave the Huskies their first lead in 12 minutes, 22-20, with 3:28 remaining.
Neal and Strickland each had six points and nine rebounds for HBU in the first half. The Huskies shot 36 percent from the floor. S. Dimba scored nine points for ACU, as the Wildcats shot 24 percent from the floor.
HBU scored six quick points to start the second half, thanks to a pair of threes by Jefferson, to give HBU a 12-point advantage, 34-22, at the 19:12-mark. An offensive layup and put-back by Nwanguma put the Huskies ahead by 14, their largest lead of the game.
Following a layup by L. Dimba, Neal answered with her own layup to give HBU a 14-point advantage, 46-32, with 9:38 remaining in the game.
Six-straight points by ACU cut the Huskies' lead to nine, 47-38, and forced HBU to call a timeout with 8:24 to go in regulation.
S. Dimba's jumper at the 2:44-mark tied the game at 48-all. Jefferson and Arthur had terrific defensive stands to force turnovers. Arthur hit a pair of free throws to give the Huskies a 50-48 lead with 1:23 to go, but West nailed a three-pointer 21 seconds later to give the Wildcats a one-point lead. HBU turned the ball over and intentionally fouled. ACU hit two of four free throws.
Jefferson scored eight points for HBU, while Mason and Sydney Shelstead scored seven points apiece for ACU. HBU shot 30 percent from the floor in the half and 33 percent in the game, while ACU shot 40 percent in the half and 32 percent in the game.
HBU plays at Sam Houston State Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 pm, which will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
