Incarnate Word proved to be a problem the ACU women’s basketball team couldn’t solve, as the Cardinals took down the ‘Cats for the second time in nine days, 60-44.
The final score of Monday’s game was the lowest point total for the Wildcats since Jan. 27, 2001, when ACU scored 43 points.
“Tonight, we really played on our heels,” said Head Coach Shawna Lavender. “Our hands were down the entire first half. We have made a habit of getting down and coming back; we just couldn’t tonight.”
The Cardinals hit seven of their 11 three-point attempts in the first half, a 60 percent average. Cardinal Nia Torru had 18 points in the first half, hitting six of the seven Incarnate Word threes.
The Incarnate Word defense did a good job holding the Meyer girls in check in the first half. The twins combined to score only nine points in the first 20 minutes. ACU’s lack of offense and the Cardinals’ stellar shooting put the halftime score at 43-28.
“We just looked out of sync,” said spectator Jocelyn Nederhoff, freshman advertising and public relations major from Alburquerque, N.M. “I have seen us play better than that.”
ACU’s defense stepped up in the second half, holding the Cardinals to 17 points. Unfortunately, the Wildcat offense was able to manage only 16 points. Jamie Meyer was the only Wildcat in double digits, with 12. She also led ACU in rebounds, 10, for a double-double.
“Defensively, I can handle giving up 60 points in a game,” Lavender said. “What I can’t handle is playing offense like we did. That is not ACU basketball.”
Thanksgiving vacation was mostly work for the team, which went 2-1 in three away games.
The Wildcats split two games in Austin in the St. Edward’s Classic and then made the drive to Odessa to beat Texas-Permian Basin.
Jamie and Jody Meyer led the Wildcats in scoring in all three games, with four double-doubles between them. Jamie scored at least 21 points in all four games this season, while Jody posted a double-double in each of the last three games.
The Wildcats are 2-2 overall this season, including one loss at home. Their first victory of the season was against St. Edward’s University on Nov. 20. Jamie put up 27 points in the second half to bring the Wildcats back from a first-half deficit for a 72-62 win.
The Wildcats lost their footing early in the second Classic game against Incarnate Word. After fighting for a two-point lead in the second half, the Wildcats fell behind for good. A shot at the buzzer went up too late, and the ‘Cats lost 67-63.
Trailing seemed to be a trend in the game against Permian Basin, before ACU took a two-point lead, 47-45 at the half. The Wildcats extended the lead to ten points shortly into the second half, winning 93-83. Along with a stellar performance by the Meyer twins, Kat Kundmueller posted 18 points, and Joanna Harner also scored double digits with 11.
ACU’s next game is against Cameron University at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Moody Coliseum.
