ABILENE – ACU senior
Autumn Whitaker scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Saturday as the Wildcats held on to knock off Texas A&M-Kingsville, 84-82, in overtime at Moody Coliseum.
The win pushes the Wildcats to 5-11 overall and 2-2 in the Lone Star Conference South Division, while the Lady Javelinas fall to 2-14 and 0-4. ACU will return to action Wednesday in San Antonio against LSC newcomer Incarnate Word.
ACU had a 10-point lead in the second half before an 18-2 Kingsville run gave the Javelinas a six-point lead. But the Wildcats led 74-71 with 1:56 left after a free by Whitaker.
Kingsville's Chelsea Solia, though, got her team to within 74-73 with 1:28 left with a pair of free throws, and then Novella Thomas drilled a 3-pointer with 37 seconds to play to give the Lady Javelinas a 76-74 lead.
But Whitaker fed
Kelsey Smith for a short jumper that tied the game at 76-76 with 22 seconds to play, and that was the score at the end of regulation.
The teams traded 3-pointers to begin the overtime period before ACU ran off four straight points on a couple of free throws and then a fastbreak layup from Mack Lankford.
Kingsville got the ACU lead down to 83-82 with 1:39 to play, but Whitaker iced it with a free throw with 15 seconds to play, and then Kelly Bastow missed a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Lady Javelinas hit 24 of 61 shots from the field, including 13 of 24 from 3-point range. Solis led the Lady Javelinas with 22 points, followed by Bastow and Meagan Barlow with 15 points apiece.
Lankford finished with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and four steals for the Wildcats, while
Kelsey Smith added 10 points and nine rebounds.
