Phoenix, Ariz. - Senior guard Steffani Liscum (Tucson, Ariz./Marana H.S.) scored 24 points, 17 in the second half, and gathered 10 rebounds, and freshman forward Sarah Beth Hock (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.) scored 22 points, 14 in the first half, and gathered 5 rebounds as Arizona Christian University (3-6) defeated California State University-Maritime (4-5), 83-73, at its own ACU Women's Basketball Classic, Friday, Dec. 2, at Fultz Gymnasium.
In Saturday, Dec. 3 action at the first-ever Arizona Christian University Classic, Rocky Mountain College takes on CSU-Maritime at 2 p.m., and Arizona Christian takes on Johnson and Wales University (Colo.) at 4 p.m. Rocky Mountain (8-2) defeated Johnson and Wales (8-5), 69-61, Friday evening.
Liscum, who ranks first in the NAIA Division II in scoring (25.3) and has won two-time A.I.I. Conference Player of the Week this season, made 11 of her 23 field goals, gathered 10 rebounds, four off the offensive glass, and passed two assists. Hock made 10 of her 13 shots, passed 2 assists, blocked a shot and stole the ball twice from CSU-Maritime.
Junior guard Jessica Largo (Gallup, N.M./Rehoboth Christian School) added 11 points, eight in the second half, 2 three-pointers, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, and made all three of her free throw attempts, and freshman center Jamie Heath (Phoenix, Ariz./Thunderbird H.S.) scored 9 points, all in the first half, and freshman guard Liz Erickson (Peoria, Ariz./Northwest Christian School) contributed 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and one blocked shot. Senior guard Anne Munsil (Scottsdale, Ariz./Scottsdale Christian Academy) was held to just one point and five field goal attempts but gathered 5 rebounds, and senior guard Elizabeth Inscore (Dayville, Ore./Dayville H.S.) added 3 points on a critical second-half three-pointer that gave ACU a 65-59 lead with 8:02 left in the game and also had 3 rebounds and 2 assists.
Guard Alexsis Brown, the number five scorer in the NAIA Division II (22.1) totaled 22 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists and made no three-pointers before fouling out with 2:10 left in the game. Guard Sabrina Domingo finished with 17 points, one three-pointer, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals, and reserve guard Marisa Carion finished with 14 points, 3 three-pointers and 2 steals. Center Akilah Jones contributed 4 points and 7 rebounds, and forward Quaraya Fuston finished with 4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and one steal.
ACU shot .426 from the field (29-68) for the game, made 4 of 16 three-pointers (.250) and 11 of 19 free throws (.579), committed 25 turnovers and stole the ball from CSUM 10 times. The Keelhaulers, who out-rebounded ACU, 46-41, shot .471 from the field (33-70), made 5 of 22 three-pointers (.227) and just 12 of 23 free throws (.522), committed 24 turnovers and stole the ball six times. CSU-Maritime entered the game as the NAIA Division II leader in three-point field goal percentage (.447).
ACU, which shot .529 (18-34) from the field in the first half, led 24-13 on Heath's basket with 12:28 left in the first half and reached its widest advantage of the game, 37-25, with 6:44 left before intermission. CSUM whittled the Firestorm's lead to 41-34 by halftime.
CSUM outscored ACU, 16-4, in the first 4:48 of the second half and took a 47-45 lead and led 51-47 with 14:17 left in the game. From that point, ACU outscored CSUM, 36-22, and after gaining a 54-53 lead on Hock's basket with 12:29 left, the Firestorm never trailed again. ACU led 73-65 on Largo's three-pointer at 4:14, and CSUM sliced the lead to three points, 73-70, but drew no closer. ACU led by at least seven points for the entire last 1:33 of the
game.
