After a close game with many lead changes, the Wildcats fell short on Saturday to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 68-59.

In the first half, the Wildcats kept the game tight with the Islanders. The Wildcats shot 55% from the field and 50% from 3-point range while holding the Islanders to 39% from the field. Despite the advantage offensively, the Islanders were able to contain the Wildcats, giving ACU a two-point lead at halftime.

Everything changed in the second half. The Wildcats were unable to get going offensively, turning the ball over 13 times throughout the rest of the half.

However, the Islanders offense finally started to generate while ACU’s defense struggled. The Islanders shot 54% from the field, most of their points coming from the paint and second-chance opportunities through offensive rebounds.

“Our biggest issue though today was lack of focus on defense to keep the ball out of the paint,” said Head Coach Julie Goodenough. “That was a point of emphasis, but Corpus was able to score at a high percentage because of our defensive lapses, allowing them to get the ball in the paint.”

There were a couple bright spots in the Wildcats loss. Junior guard Anna McLeod had a strong performance against the Islanders. McLeod tallied 15 points, along with seven rebounds, five assists and one block.

Senior guard Breanna Wright once again led both teams in points. Wright scored 20 points but also brought in four assists and one steal.

“This was a really good game for Anna offensively,” said Goodenough. “It was good to see her so shot ready. Brea was Brea, hitting shots and making plays when we needed them. We just played a player short the whole game it seemed.”

The Wildcats will be looking to bounce back as their road trip continues on Wednesday against the Houston Baptist Huskies. The rematch will begin at 5 p.m. and will be broadcasting live on 98.1 F.M.

“We have to get serious about defense,” said Goodenough, “pretty quickly since we only have six games left.”