WBB: Feast Week Review
All but two WAC women's basketball teams hit the road this week highlighted by a tournament win in Florida by ACU and GCU's record setting week offensively in their MTE.
Feast Week saw WAC women’s basketball teams log a total of 12,270 round-trip miles and go 11-12 between several MTE’s/Tournaments and non-conference games. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights…
Wildcats leave Miami with a tournament title:
One of the decisions that a coaching staff makes when putting together a schedule is whether or not to enter an MTE, where games are scheduled for you, or a tournament to simulate conference tournament play.
ACU coach Julie Goodenough chose to enter a tournament in Miami and the Wildcats will come home victorious with wins over Sacramento State and host FIU. The good thing about this tournament is that it simulates the WAC tournament for top seeds with a day off after game one, something this edition of the Wildcats will be aiming for.
The much-improved Wildcat defense forced 52 combined turnovers in two games and allowed just 60 points per contest.
Through contests from December 2nd, the Wildcats are currently 17th nationally in turnovers forced per game at 24.78.
Saturday’s championship game saw the Wildcats lead for 37:47 of 40 minutes in an 87-67 win over the hosts although FIU did make a couple of runs to whittle double-digit leads to single possession deficits. Payton Hull had 29 points while Bella Earle added 18 points with five rebounds and three assists. Mia Rivers had her best game as a Wildcat with 14 points and seven assists. The Wildcats set a season high in field goal percentage at 57.4% and a high in assists against a Division 1 opponent with 21.
Hull was named the tournament MVP while Earle was selected all tournament.
ACU continues non-conference play at former WAC member UTRGV on Wednesday.
Lopes offense cooking during the holiday:
Under Molly Miller, the GCU women’s basketball team has become known for their prowess defensively. However, this week with three games in four days it was the Lopes offense putting up eye-popping numbers.
In Wednesday morning’s 79-50 win over Liberty to finish their slate of WAC/CUSA challenge games at 1-1 GCU’s Trinity San Antonio tied a Western Athletic Conference record with 17 assists. The previous record went back to 2002.
Then on Saturday afternoon, in a 110-71 win over East Texas A&M to finish out play in their Talking Stick Resort Thanksgiving Classic, GCU’s offense added several new lines to program history.
13 made 3-pointers came up just one short of tying a record set earlier this month against Cal State Bakersfield. Alyssa Durazo-Frescas connected on five to lead the barrage.
The 110 points was also second in program history to a 115-point outburst against Arizona Christian just after Christmas last year. Also, their 63.2% total field goal percentage is a single-game program record.
Since quarters were instituted in 2015 this was the first game in which GCU recorded multiple 30+ point quarters in the same game with two.
GCU visits the University of Arizona on Thursday night to continue non-conference play.
Redhawks winless no more:
Going into the Thanksgiving Break Seattle U was winless against Division 1 opponents and had not scored more than 60 points in those games.
On Friday against East Texas A&M in the Talking Stick Resort Thanksgiving Classic at GCU that changed as the Redhawks came away with their first win of the year against Division 1 competition by a final of 79-76. Seattle U went 13-30 from 3-point distance with Tai Kozlova and Tamia Stricklin combining to hit seven of the 13.
A day later Seattle U got off to a good start against UC Santa Barbara but fell 72-62 after UCSB outscored them 28-14 in the third quarter. Kozlova averaged 15 points per game in Phoenix to lead the Redhawks.
Seattle U stays on the road this week for games at Arizona (Monday night) and at the United States Air Force Academy next Saturday.
Texans and Wolverines Split Holiday Games:
Utah Valley and Tarleton State also split games during the Thanksgiving Weekend.
In San Diego, the Wolverines recorded a 56-54 win against Alabama A&M behind 19 points from Tahlia White, 12 points from Kylee Mabry, and 10 points from Tessa Chaney. Ally Criddle scored the winning basket with 58 seconds left as part of her six-point afternoon.
A day later the Wolverines trailed by four at the half against Nebraska-Omaha and as many as 14 in the second half, but fell 53-48 to the Mavericks. White again led the way with 18 points while Mabry added 10.
Utah Valley visits the United States Air Force Academy on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, in Westwego, LA (just outside of New Orleans) Tarleton got a 54-40 win against the University of Delaware before falling 58-51 to Nicholls State.
Against the Blue Hens, an NCAA tournament qualifier from 2022, Faith Acker’s 17 points and 10 rebounds led the charge while Jakoriah Long added 16 points with nine rebounds.
In a postgame interview on Tarleton radio Texans coach Bill Brock said Acker’s performance in the opening game was perhaps the best of her career to date.
Against Nicholls, the Texans fell behind by double-digits quickly and found themselves playing from behind for the balance of the game. Arieona Rosborough’s 20 points led the way in a loss. Rosborough was selected to the all-tournament team.
Tarleton returns to Wisdom Gym on Wednesday for a game against Texas State.
Trailblazers and Lady Mavs fall in Power Five matchups:
In addition to the tournaments and MTE’s this week Utah Tech and UT Arlington both battled but fell against Power Five opponents.
On Wednesday Utah Tech hosted Colorado and quickly found themselves facing a 22-7 first-quarter deficit. They cut that deficit to four points in the third quarter but could not get any closer. Aalyiah Ibarra’s 15 points led the way while Chardonay Hartley added a double-double of 14 points with 10 assists. Brie Crittendon and Emily Isaacson were also in double-digit scoring.
Meanwhile, against crosstown opponent SMU the Lady Mavs jumped out to an early 23-13 first quarter lead against the Mustangs but fell 71-46. Avery Brittingham’s 17 points and 13 rebounds led the way.
The Lady Mavs return to College Park Center on Wednesday for a home game against Houston. Utah Tech also visits the Lone Star State on Wednesday for a matchup against Rice, which has former Abilene Christian star Madi Miller on staff as Director of Player Personnel.