The women’s basketball team will try to defeat the University of Incarnate Word for the second time in a month as the Wildcats play their season finale Saturday at 1 p.m. in Moody Coliseum.
Head coach Julie Goodenough’s team will return home for the first time in almost three weeks. The ‘Cats are coming off of a grueling, but productive road trip that took the team all across Louisiana. They return home with hopes of ending their inaugural Div. I. season with a victory.
“Our execution for high percentage shots will be of utmost importance,” Goodenough said. “Because we have already beaten them already, we know they will come here with revenge on their minds so we are preparing extremely hard to get this sweep of UIW.”
The Cardinals are also new to Div. I. However, they have not shared the success ACU has had. UIW is 8-18 on the year and 2-11 in conference play. Sitting at 13th in the Southland Conference standings, they come to Abilene on a 10-game losing streak.
On the other hand, the 17-12 Wildcats are above .500 against Southland Conference opponents and have exceeded expectations. Still, it took a late second-half rally for the purple and white to pull out a 73-67 victory when the teams last met.
Senior Rose Whitehead leads the Cardinals in scoring with 12.5 points per game. Sisters, Infunanya (10.8) and Kosi Mora (9.7), are an athletic one-two punch that will challenge the Wildcat defense. Fortunately, ACU has a sister combo of its own. Freshmen Suzzy and Lizzy Dimba each average around the ten point mark as well.
The Wildcat’s lone senior Renata Marquez will conclude her brilliant ACU career Saturday, marking her place as one of the best athletes to ever come through ACU. She leads the team with 14.8 points per game and her demeanor and experience is unrivaled.
“I think it’s very important to send Rae off with a win,” freshman Alexis Mason said. “I feel like since we know it’s her last game, that will help us come out with an even bigger reason to want to win it.”
The Wildcats will look for a win to not only wrap up a loyal senior’s career, but also cap a historic first season in Div. I.
