Tarleton State Women’s Basketball Dominates ACU in I-20 Rivalry

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STEPHENVILLE  – Tarleton State Women’s Basketball maintained momentum from a first half run and dominated in-state rival Abilene Christian 79-54 on Thursday night at Wisdom Gym. 

The Texans ended the second half on a 12-0 scoring run and finished with 52.6% shooting, including a 47.4% mark from 3-point range. 

Senior guard Miannah Little scored a career-high 24 points to go with five assists and four steals, hitting six 3-pointers en route to 60% shooting from beyond the arc. She is the first Tarleton State player in the Division I Era to hit six 3-pointers in a game and the first since Kaylee Allen (6 vs. West Texas A&M, Jan. 19, 2019). 

In addition to Little, four other Texans scored in double figures. Senior forward Elise Turrubiates scored 14 points off the bench and sophomore center Faith Acker added 13 points off 66.7% shooting. Senior guard Jakoriah Long had 12 points while fellow senior Arieona Rosborough had 10 points and seven assists. 

ACU started out hot, hitting three 3-pointers to take an early first quarter lead. Tarleton State answered back with 10 unanswered points, including three consecutive buckets from Acker. After trading 3-pointers, Rosborough drew a shooting foul with one second left in the first quarter and drained both free throws to give the Texans a 22-16 lead. 

The Texans’ red-hot shooting continued in the second quarter, with Rosborough’s jumper and Little’s 3-pointer extending the Texans’ lead to double-digits. ACU trimmed the deficit back to single digits, but Tarleton State’s offense was ignited again from back-to-back 3-pointers. 

With four minutes to play in the first half, the party was just getting started for the Texans. Layups from Long and Turrubiates began the late scoring spree, with the senior forward knocking in the free throw after getting fouled. The Texans continued with back-to-back layups and had the final possession with 14 seconds left in the half. 

Winding the clock to the final second, Turrubiates found Long for the buzzer-beating 3-pointer that capped off the 12-0 end of first half scoring run to put Tarleton State ahead by 21. 

The Texans continued to keep the momentum when the second half opened, shooting 50% from the floor to go with a pair of 3-pointers. Tarleton State had its biggest lead of 28 points in the third quarter and moved ahead 63-39 entering the final 10 minutes. 

ACU looked for a late comeback, trimming the deficit to 14 with just under three minutes to play. Tarleton State, however, scored on three of its final four possessions to cruise to a 25-point win. 

The Texans return to WAC play and go on a Utah road trip, starting with Utah Tech next Thursday at 8 p.m. 

Postgame Notes

  • Tarleton State won its 12th game of the season with a 25-point win over I-20 rival Abilene Christian 79-54 on Thursday night at Wisdom Gym. The Texans have won their last two meetings over the Wildcats. 
  • The Texans shot 52.6% from the floor and 47.6% from 3-point range on Thursday night. Both marked Tarleton State’s highest shooting percentage in WAC play this season. 
  • Outscoring the Wildcats 23-8 in the second quarter, the Texans finished the first half on a 12-0 scoring run. Tarleton State shot 60% from the floor and 57.1% from 3-point range in the second period. 
  • Senior guard Miannah Little scored a career-high 24 points and made six 3-pointers for 60% beyond the arc shooting. She is the first Tarleton State player in the Division I Era to hit six 3-pointers in a game and the first since Kaylee Allen (6 vs. West Texas A&M, Jan. 19, 2019). 
  • Tarleton State was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. It is the second time this season the Texans have shot 100% from the charity strike off 10 or more attempts (Dec. 7 vs. St. Mary’s). 
  • 1,234 fans witnessed Tarleton State’s victory over ACU on Thursday night at Wisdom Gym. It was the highest-attended game of the season and the second straight game Tarleton State has had at least 1,000 fans.

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