By Joel Weckerly, Sports Editor

ACU’s 108-46 battering of the semi-professional Houston Flames on Saturday didn’t have a bearing on the Cats’ record, but it gave a glimpse of what offensive firepower they can boast in the regular season.

Junior center Melanie Carter led six scorers with 20 points, adding nine rebounds in the exhibition game at Moody Coliseum.

“I’d like to think that it’s an indication of things to come,” head coach Wayne Williams said. “I don’t know if the score will always be that lopsided, but it’s a good way to get things started at home.”

Williams said he and the players weren’t sure what to expect from the Flames, who finished third in the Women’s Southwest Basketball League last season with a 10-4 record and made it to the semifinals of the league playoffs.

“We didn’t really know what we were gonna see,” Williams said. “You never know how good a team is going to be, and our main focus was on ourselves anyway.”

And the ACU team didn’t disappoint, jumping to a 50-17 halftime lead and never letting up on the Flames, who shot 32.7 percent from the floor.

“The thing I was most pleased with was that we played for the full 40 minutes,” Williams said. “Our transition game was really solid, and we didn’t really have any letdowns.”

Sophomore forward Stephanie Riles and freshman guard Ashley King also moved into and thrived in starting roles Saturday. Riles, a transfer from Emporia State University, had 19 points and nine rebounds while King had 16 points and four assists in the victory.

“We’ve had some solid contributions from the new players,” Williams said.

The team plays host to the four-team ACU Classic this weekend in Moody Coliseum. ACU is scheduled to play Incarnate Word at 6 p.m. Friday and Missouri Western Saturday at 4 p.m.