ACU struggled with scoring and turnovers on Friday as the Wildcats fell to the Portland Pilots, 67-42.
In the first part of the first quarter, the Wildcats and the Pilots were exchanging points and were tied, 7-7. Then, Portland finished the quarter on a 14-0 run sparked by their full-court pressure and ACU’s turnovers.
After taking a commanding lead after the end of the first quarter, the Pilots continued to dominate both ends of the floor, not allowing ACU to have the chance to cut down the deficit. Their dominance and ACU’s struggles continued into the second half, where Portland found itself a 28-point lead at one point in the second half.
One significant part of ACU’s troubles on Friday were turnovers. The Wildcats totaled a program-high 32 turnovers, mainly due to Portland’s full-court pressure. The Pilots also used ACU’s turnovers to their advantage, scoring 33 points off of the Wildcats’ mistakes.
Turnovers were not the only areas where the Wildcats struggled on Friday. Whenever the Wildcats were able to get past the full-court pressure, they struggled to make their shots. ACU finished the game shooting 26 percent from the field and only made six 3-point shots.
ACU’s 42 points stemming from their shooting struggles were the lowest they scored in a game all season.
Carrying the offense for ACU was senior guard Anna McLeod. She followed her strong performances in the Southland Conference Tournament with 16 points, leading all scorers on both teams. McLeod scored her 16 points while shooting 50 percent from the field and adding five rebounds to her totals.
The Wildcats face a quick turnaround, starting their journey to win the consolation bracket tomorrow. They will face-off against Florida International at 4 p.m., with the game streaming live 102.7 F.M., The Bear.