CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University Women's Basketball team brought an end to Abilene Christian University's three-game winning streak in a defensive 49-46 home showdown on Feb. 19. The victory puts SUU on a three-game winning streak, with a 5-8 Western Athletic Conference record and a 7-19 record overall. The Wildcats drop to a 5-6 conference record and a 16-10 record overall.
Top T-Birds
- Daylani Ballena scored 19 points on 53% shooting from the field, also chipping in three assists.
-
Lexi Bull strung together another double-digit rebounding game, bringing down 14 total boards.
-
Also establishing a presence under the hoop, Ava Uhrich logged nine rebounds and seven points.
Head Coach Tracy Mason Said:
Game Recap
First Half
Southern Utah started the game firing from the three-point line, with two triples from Ballena and one from Samantha Johnston boosting the Thunderbirds to an early five-point lead. Despite SUU being held scoreless for the final five minutes of the quarter, they stayed consistent on defense, wrapping up the first at a 9-9 score.
Layups from Uhrich and Kortney Doman highlighted an otherwise quiet start to the second quarter. With three minutes left in the low-scoring first half, both teams finally found their rhythm offensively. ACU pulled ahead, but a basket at the buzzer from Sierra Chambers cut the Wildcat lead to 25-24.
Second Half
Southern Utah snatched the lead thanks to layups from Ballena and Uhrich, but the back-and-forth scoring quickly returned. Ballena added to her totals and Doman added a final Thunderbird score to put SUU up 37-36 with one quarter left.
The teams continued swapping the lead in a consistent dogfight, with points from Jaeden Brown keeping the game close early in the fourth quarter. With victory on the line, back-to-back layups from Ballena put the Thunderbirds on top for the 49-46 triumph.
Highlights
Up Next
The Thunderbirds will remain home to rematch the rival Utah Tech University Trailblazers on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Tickets
Season tickets, mini packages, and single-game tickets are now available! Get yours today by visiting tbirdtickets.com.
Follow Us
For all the latest on Southern Utah women's basketball, follow @SUUWBasketball on Twitter and Instagram and like the Southern Utah Women's Basketball Facebook page.
Donate
To help support Thunderbird athletics consider making a donation today! To learn more about how you can support click here.
