The ACU women’s basketball team will continue their final road trip tomorrow against the McNeese State Cowgirls. It will be their second stop on the three-game road trip. Before the Wildcats return home, they will have played three games in five days, all against high-tiered Southland Conference teams.
With only three games remaining in the season, the ‘Cats cannot afford to let their concentration slip or their intensity slide.
“We can be competitive in all of these games,” Goodenough said before the trip began. “We just have to stay focused for 40 minutes.”
Everything seems to be coming together for this team after a rough start to the month of Februrary. They lost a handful of games by less than a handful of points, but have rebounded the past two weeks with statement wins over Arlington Baptist and Incarnate Word.
With nine freshmen, it has taken time for players to discover their roles, and nearly everything has been learned on the fly. Nonetheless, the Wildcats are a few wins away from a monumental first season in Div. I.
The offense has struck a nice balance between perimeter scoring and a low post presence. Senior forward Renata Marquez and freshman guard Alexis Mason have been pouring in the points all year from the back court. Freshmen Suzzy Dimba and Sydney Shelstead have controlled the paint with their size and athleticism. This combo makes for a tough match-up even for the Southland’s best.
McNeese State is sitting in 5th place with an 8-6 conference record. The Cowgirls only have two players that average in double figures. Sophomore guard Allison Baggett (17.6) and senior forward Cecilia Okoye (11.1) lead the MSU scoring charge. The ‘Cats match-up well with the Cowgirls on defense, which means the game will come down to how well ACU can score the ball on offense.
Alexis Mason said, “We just have to execute.”
Most of the Wildcat losses have boiled down to poor offensive execution, and they will have to be sharp to get a win against McNeese.
The ‘Cats will finish out their road trip on Monday at Southeastern Louisiana University, a make-up game due to a scheduling conflict earlier in the year.
