By Michael Freeman, Assistant Sports Editor
The women’s basketball team picked a bad time to play one of its worst games of the season. The Wildcats shot only 30.4 percent from the field as they fell to Central Oklahoma 67-50 Saturday in Bartlesville, Okla. With the loss, ACU ends its season with an 18-11 overall record, while Central Oklahoma advanced to the Lone Star Conference Post-Season Tournament title game, where the Bronchos lost 85- 73 to West Texas A&M.
“It’s just really disappointing,” said head coach Shawna Lavender. “Our girls haven’t played like that in six weeks. It’s a shame that we picked that time to have a bad game.”
Even though ACU finished the season winning 16 of its last 21 games, Saturday’s semifinal loss hurt the Wildcats’ chances of making it to the NCAA Division II South Central Regional tournament. West Texas A&M, Central Oklahoma and Angelo State were selected to represent the LSC in the regional tournament.
“We went 9-2 in our last 11 games, while Angelo went 6-5 in their last 11 games,” Lavender said. “It’s just frustrating when you put together a run like we did over the last 20 games. I feel really bad for our girls because they put themselves in a good position to get in, but I knew our chances were slim after we lost to Central in the tournament.”
ACU never led during Saturday’s game against Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos went into halftime with a 38-23 lead after knocking down 46.9 percent of their field goals in the first half, while the Wildcats struggled to hit 27.6 percent of their shots.
“Central played great. You’ve got to give them credit,” Lavender said. “You can’t spot a team like Central 15 points right off the bat.”
ACU’s poor shooting continued into the second half as the Wildcats missed all seven of their 3-point shots. The Wildcats ended the game shooting 8.3 percent from behind the 3- point arc, and drained only 65.2 percent of their free throws.
Forwards Jody Meyer and Jamie Meyer led ACU in scoring, each with 10 points. Center Audrey Maxwell scored seven points, while guard Alex Guiton, guard Kathryn Kundmueller and forward Kristee Davidson all had six points each.
“We came out really flat,” Lavender said. “We scored 50 points. We score that in a half sometimes.”
Despite Saturday’s fateful loss, the Wildcats will be able to look back on the 2007-08 season with a sense of accomplishment. ACU began its regular season with a 2-6 record, but turned its year around by going 16-5, including putting together an eight-game winning streak that featured a 71-66 overtime victory over No. 12 West Texas A&M.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team make a 180 like this team did,” Lavender said. “It takes a special group of girls to do that. It shows a lot about their heart and how much they wanted to win for each other. They definitely have a lot to be proud of.”
Guiton and forward Ashlee Barr will be graduating this year. Guiton averaged 14.8 points per game, while Barr averaged 4.8 points per game this season. Guiton finished her career with 1,485 points, which is good for ninth place on ACU’s all-time scoring list.
“With those two players, we’re going to miss their leadership,”
Lavender said. “We’re going to miss Alex with her offensive threat and her competitiveness. She hates to lose, and she’s going to do whatever it takes not to lose. And with Ashlee, one of the biggest things we’re going to miss from her is her ability to motivate. The girls kind of fed off of that.”
Guiton was also named, along with Maxwell, as all-conference South Division first team selections on March 4. Davidson was voted to the second team, while Jamie Meyer earned an honorable mention selection. Coach Lavender was voted as the South Division’s Coach of the Year.
After a successful turnaround season, the Wildcats are already looking forward to next season.
“The off-season is the most important time to get better,” Lavender said. “I think the girls that we have coming back will be ready to work hard and start preparing for next year.”
