The women’s basketball team will look to end its conference struggles this weekend with a game at home.
The Wildcats will take on the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals at 2 p.m. Saturday in Moody Coliseum. The Wildcats own an 8-7 overall record, but have struggled during conference play, going just 1-4 against teams in the Southland. UIW has had a rough season so far with a 5-10 record, but have held their own in conference with a 2-2 record.
The Wildcats’ last game was Jan. 17 against Stephen F. Austin, in which the leftover crowd from the men’s game of approximately 2,800 fans stayed over to cheer on the women for an above average home crowd. But this Saturday, the men’s team will play after the women for the first time this season which head coach Julie Goodenough said is just how the team likes it.
“We like playing the first game because you can have a well-scripted pregame and know exactly what time the game will start,” Goodenough said. “But last Saturday was such an amazing day for ACU basketball and we were more than happy to play second. The ACU fans were phenomenal.”
ACU dropped the SFA game in overtime, 71-69, and continued to struggle as of late. The Wildcats shot 33 percent from the field and were a dismal 9-30 from three-point range. Three Wildcats finished in double-digit scoring. Sophomore Lizzy Dimba had a team high of 17 points and 10 rebounds in 41 minutes. Senior Whitney West added 14 points on 4-7 three-point shooting before she fouled out of the game. Sophomore Sydney Shelstead finished with 11 and was 7-8 from the free throw line.
“The great thing about a basketball season is that games come so fast that you have to move on quickly, win or lose, to get prepared for the next battle,” Goodenough said. “And that’s what we have done. Our staff and our players know we let a win slip away last Saturday, and we have worked very hard this week in practice to correct mistakes we made in the game.”
The Cardinals are coming off an 82-70 win against Southeastern Louisiana and play McNeese State Thursday night in San Antonio. On the road, UIW is only 1-6 when playing away from the McDermott Convocation Center. Incarnate Word ranks toward the bottom in most offensive categories and give up nearly 67 points per game. ACU is averaging 71.5 points per contest and holding opponents to 63.5 points per game. That 8.1 scoring margin is tops in the conference.
The team’s next game will be at 5 p.m. Jan. 26 in Moody Coliseum against its last non-Southland conference opponent for the season, Angelo State University.
