The women’s basketball team began their season with a trip to take on No. 24 Missouri in the first round of the WNIT, losing by a final score of 52-46.
Each teams were shorthanded, as the Tigers were without two of their players due to season ending injuries, and the Wildcats were without reigning Southland Conference Player of the Year Alexis Mason, who is out for an undisclosed period of time with an injury. In her first game back since her ACL reconstructive surgery last year, Lizzy Dimba was playing with an ankle injury as well.
Missouri has four starters returning from last year with sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham, last year’s SEC Freshman of the Year, and sophomore forward Cierra Porter leading the way. Each of the players were selected to the SEC all-Freshman Team last year, as they combined for 1,666 minutes played and 59 starts their freshman year.
Foul trouble was also a big hindrance for the Wildcats, as senior forward Sydney Shelstead missed most of the first half after starting off the game with a few quick fouls and senior forward Suzzy Dimba played in foul trouble for most of the game as she finished with five fouls.
Sophomore guard Sara Williamson provided a spark off the bench, but also ended up in foul trouble as well with four.
The Wildcats started fast, as they jumped out to a nine-point lead early on. But ACU stalled out late in the first, despite holding on to a 16-15 lead at the end of the quarter. The Tigers controlled the low scoring second quarter, but ACU kept it close, as Mizzou took a small lead heading into the half, 25-21.
The third quarter was all about defense for the Wildcats, as they held Missouri without a field goal, 0-10, but the Tigers did manage six points at the line to prevent from being held completely scoreless in the third.
The Wildcats took their 12-6 third quarter to start the fourth with a 33-31 lead. But the Tigers would regain the lead and begin to pull away slightly.
ACU hit a couple key shots down the stretch to keep the game within reach, but back-to-back turnovers late in the game stopped any momentum that ACU was mustering, as ACU fell 52-46.
Suzzy Dimba finished as the leading scorer for the Wildcats with 11 points off of her 3-for-10 shooting. Shelstead posted a good stat line in her limited minutes with eight points and 10 rebounds in just 16 minutes of play. In her first collegiate action, freshman guard Breanna Wright had five points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 40 minutes of play.
The Wildcats will open their home schedule on Tuesday with a game against Howard Payne University. ACU will then jumpt back into WNIT action on Friday as it hosts the University of Nebraska at Omaha in the first round of the consolation bracket. ACU play Saturday against either North Texas or UT-Rio Grande Valley.
