After what many our calling the biggest win in the program’s history over Oklahoma State, the women’s basketball team will travel to the Southern Methodist University’s Moody Coliseum on Monday to take on the Mustangs in the second round of the Women’s NIT.
The Wildcats punched their ticket to Dallas on Friday with their first ever Div. 1 postseason victory, a 66-56 win over Oklahoma State. The win was not only the first postseason victory in ACU’s history, it also marked the first time a team has beaten the Cowgirls out home in a postseason tournament.
ACU forced OSU’s Kaylee Jensen into early foul trouble and did not allow the Cowgirls to get comfortable offensively, while the Wildcat starters, led by Suzzy Dimba’s 16 points, each scored double figures to propel the offense.
Senior Alexis Mason, who finished with 10 points and seven rebounds said every game could be the last and the team has to bring its best.
“From here on out its win or go home, so all of these games are important and we have to give our best effort,” Mason said. “The seniors don’t want to be done. We are going to come out every game and give our best effort, knowing it could be our last time playing with each other and for this program. We want to go out with a bang.”
Meanwhile SMU got all it could handle from Louisiana Tech on Saturday night as it took a late run from the Mustangs to overcome a nine-point deficit to earn the 75-70 overtime win. SMU was led by Kierra Anthony’s 21 points and five steals and Rochelle Vasquez added 15 points in the win.
ACU enters the game at 23-8 overall and a regular-season Southland Conference co-champion, while SMU is 18-14 and placed sixth in the American Athletic Conference, a conference won by the No. 1 team in the nation in Connecticut.
Head coach Julie Goodenough said the mindset of the team all season has been to build on last year’s success.
“Last season we were upset that we could finish the game at UTEP with a win, so this year our goal was to win some games in the WNIT,”
The teams have met several times in the two programs history, but have not played since ACU began its Div. 1 transition. The Mustangs enter the match up averaging 59.2 ppg and 58.5 opponent’s ppg, and ACU comes in at 72.5 ppg and 63.2 opponent’s ppg.
The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. and can be heard on 98.1 FM, the Ticket.
