The Wildcats took down another top-seeded Southland Conference team during their last home game on Tuesday, overwhelming the Ladyjacks, 88-62.
“I’m really proud of our team,” said head coach Julie Goodenough. “This was our third game in seven days, and you wouldn’t have known that by the way our players played with so much high energy and intensity. This team proved when you wrap your mind around something, you can fight through it.”
Leading the way for the Wildcats on a career night in her last game in Moody was senior guard Dominique Golightly. She surpassed her previous career-high by scoring 33 points, including a career-best and program best nine made 3-pointers on 10 attempts. Golightly added to her numbers with four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
“Dominique was unbelievable tonight,” said Goodenough. “We’ve had some games where she has shied away and doesn’t want to take her shot, but she was feeling it tonight. I think as a shooter, once you make your first one or two, then you’re feeling pretty confident, and it was awhile before she missed one. What a way to end her career at home.”
Leading in rebounding for both teams was junior forward Makayla Mabry. Along with her nine rebounds, Mabry scored 11 points on 57% shooting from the field and 75% shooting from the 3-point line.
Senior guard Breanna Wright played a crucial role in ACU’s win against SFA. Despite the Lady Lumberjacks’s full-court pressure, Wright totaled 22 points alongside three rebounds and one steal. She also added six assists to her totals, leading both teams in that category.
“Breanna has been so solid for us all year long,” said Goodenough. “She’s been our MVP and been the most solid and consistent player in the conference and throughout conference play. She’s been calm and collected. We’ve so many defensive schemes trying to get the ball out of her hands, to try to keep her from being successful. She’s done a great job of battling through everything.
The Wildcats came out firing on all cylinders and kept that energy throughout the whole game. Even when the bats of Moody swarmed the coliseum in the third quarter, ACU remained focused and consistent. On the offensive side, the Wildcats shot a solid 59% from the field and 63% from 3-point range. With 18 total assists, the team’s ball movement played a key role in the ACU’s high shooting percentage.
Offense was not the only side of the ball that was clicking for the Wildcats. ACU’s defense caused the Lady Lumberjacks to turn the ball over 20 times and to have poor shot selection. Stephen F. Austin was held to 42% shooting and only shot 25% from the 3-point range.
“We had a had good scouting report that could manipulate Stephen F. Austin’s zone a little bit,” said Goodenough. “Our players did a great job of reading the defense and getting the ball in the hands of people that were open. We had some people in foul trouble and we had people come in from the bench who held their own.”
The Wildcats hope to finish conference play at the top of the standings in San Antonio on Saturday. The conclusion of the regular season against the Lady Cardinals of Incarnate Word tips off at 2 p.m.
“We’ve got a game on Saturday that is just as important as this game,” said Goodenough. “Fortunately, we’ll be able to recover while everyone else in the league is playing. We’ll get back to what we need to do in order to win before we go down to the tournament in Katy.”
