The Optimist
  • Home
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Features
  • Print Edition
    • The Pessimist
    • Special Projects
  • Police Log
  • Classifieds
You are here: Home / Sports / Wildcats get the job done on the road against California Baptist
Erin Woodson, sophomore guard from Richmond, Virginia, looks to pass the ball through CBU's defense. (Photo by Daniel Curd)

Wildcats get the job done on the road against California Baptist

January 16, 2026 by Joshua Varner Leave a Comment

The Wildcats pulled out all the stops against California Baptist as they took a 70-58 win over the Western Athletic Conference leaders.

Heading into this game, the Lancers were undefeated in WAC play with a 5-0 record, outscoring conference opponents by double digits in all but one of those games.

This is the third year in a row that the Wildcats have snapped California Baptist’s perfect conference record. However, as they came into this game, Head Coach Julie Goodenough knew what her team needed to focus on.

“We were just like, they’re playing really good, and so we have got to be locked in and focus on things that we can control, and our players just showed a lot of toughness and did that today,” Goodenough said.

The Wildcats were led by a trio of players who dominated offensively against the Lancers.

Erin Woodson, junior guard from Richmond, Virginia, led the charge with 23 points, seven of those coming from the free-throw line. On top of this, Natalia Chavez senior guard from Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico, and Payton Hull, junior guard from Peaster, both put up double-digit points, building a lead that the Wildcats never relinquished to the Lancers.

On the other side of the court, the Wildcats continued to apply that pressure on defense, allowing only two 3-pointers all game. The Lancers’ score was their lowest this season against conference opponents.

“Their main focus was on defense today, and that’s how we hold an opponent like Cal Baptist to 58 points on their home floor,” Goodenough said.

The Wildcats were without Meredith Mayes, junior center from Bixby, Oklahoma, who is in her third season at ACU. Mayes started in 16 games this season, averaging just over 15 points a game, before suffering an injury this past week.

Despite losing one of their veteran players, the Wildcats were able to adjust their strategy and secure a huge road win.

With this game in the books, the Wildcats now look to their next game against Southern Utah. The team will travel back to Abilene on Friday, with a primary focus on recovery.

“We just figure out what we can do about the quick turnaround and the travel and just want to make sure our girls are physically recovering as much as possible,” Goodenough said.

The Wildcats will face the Redhawks at 1 pm Saturday at Moody Coliseum in their first matchup of the season.

Filed Under: Sports

Other Sports:

  • Illinois State tops ACU in Super 16, Wildcats look to run it back with core returners

  • Softball loses to Texas Tech, looks toward conference series

  • Athletes navigate unclear future amid ACU scholarship change

About Joshua Varner

Leave a Comment: Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

You are here: Home / Sports / Wildcats get the job done on the road against California Baptist

Other Sports:

  • Illinois State tops ACU in Super 16, Wildcats look to run it back with core returners

  • Softball loses to Texas Tech, looks toward conference series

  • Athletes navigate unclear future amid ACU scholarship change

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
29 Mar

Sing Song 2026 Awards Class Division:

Overall Award:
1. Mixed
2. Seniors
3. Freshman White

Reply on Twitter 2038098756579508469 Retweet on Twitter 2038098756579508469 Like on Twitter 2038098756579508469 2 Twitter 2038098756579508469
acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
29 Mar

Sing Song 2026 Awards Women’s Division:

Overall Award:
1. Ko Jo Kai
2. Sigma Theta Chi
3. Tri Kappa Gamma

Reply on Twitter 2038098512471093381 Retweet on Twitter 2038098512471093381 Like on Twitter 2038098512471093381 3 Twitter 2038098512471093381

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist is with ACU Journalism and Mass Communication.

2 weeks ago

The Optimist
The Optimist staff won several awards and competed at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association 2026 convention in Denton this weekend. Students participated in live contests and submitted work from the past year into the competition.Here are the results.- 1st place: Live print news writing, Ashley Henderson- 1st place: Live print sports writing, Roman Raffaeli- 2nd place: Live tv announcing, Zion Webb- 2nd place: Live news photo, Daniel Curd- 2nd place: Newscast, Optimist Staff- Honorable mention: Documentary (video), Makayla Clayton- 2nd place: Documentary, JMC documentary production class- 3rd place: General news, Callie Leverett- Honorable mention: General column, Zion Webb- Honorable mention: Sports reporting (video), Roman Raffaeli- Honorable mention: Live sports action photo, Daniel Curd- Honorable mention: General news video story, Ashley Henderson- Honorable mention: Photo illustrations (Daniel Curd & Optimist staffStudents also received awards for their work through KACU and ACUTV.- 1st place: In-depth news reporting (audio), Ashley Henderson- 1st place: General news audio story, Baylie Simon- 1st place: Live sports coverage (video), Roman Raffaeli & London Gray- 2nd place: Live sports coverage (video), Josiah Wonnell & Londyn Gray- 3rd place: General news audio story, Ashley Henderson- 2nd place: Sportscast (audio), Daisy Strine & Zion Webb- 3rd place: Sportscast (audio), Daisy Strine & Zion Webb- 3rd place: Feature reporting (audio), Baylie Simon- Honorable Mention: Feature reporting (audio), Josiah Wonnell#acuoptimist #abilenechristianuniversity #studentmedia #tipa2026 ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

2 months ago

The Optimist
Sororities and fraternities began New Member Orientation with Bid Day, officially starting the pledging process this weekend.Originally scheduled for last week, the start was delayed due to winter weather that brought snow and ice to campus. Clubs and their sponsors gathered at designated locations on and off campus to complete tasks assigned by their officers.To view the full photo gallery, visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. #acuoptimist #abilenechristianuniversity #greeklife 📸: Daniel Curdacuoptimist.com/2026/02/gallery-clubs-begin-new-member-orientation-after-weather-delay/?fbclid=PA... ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 28, 2024

Our top stories today include a recap of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, the ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 21, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 14, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 24, 2024

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Policies
    • Advertising Policy
    • Letters to the Editor and Reader Comments
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Features
  • Advertise
    • Paid Advertisement
  • Police Log

© 2026 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved