PHOENIX, Ariz. - Arizona Christian University (4-9, 0-1 GSAC) whittled down an 18-point Concordia lead to eight points in the second half, but the rally fell short, and Concordia University (3-10, 1-0 GSAC), from Irvine, California, recorded an 83-68 Golden State Athletics Conference women's basketball victory in ACU's Fultz Memorial Gym in Phoenix, Tuesday, Jan. 8. ACU was playing its first GSAC game ever. 

Arizona Christian, directed by second-year head coach Jerry Conner, continues its GSAC schedule, Saturday, January 12, hosting the NAIA's number eight ranked team, The Master's College (14-0, 1-0 GSAC), at 5:30 p.m., in Fultz Memorial Gym. The ACU men's basketball team, coming off an 84-82 win over defending NAIA national champion Concordia, hosts The Master's College (11-5, 0-1 GSAC), Saturday at 7:30 p.m. 

A short-handed Arizona Christian squad, which already was missing two players due to injuries and lost a third player early in the second half, finished the game with six players after two Firestorm fouled out. Concordia, which won its second consecutive game, dominated the boards, 62-33, outscored ACU, 27-7, in second-chance points off the offensive boards, and outscored ACU's bench players, 36-16. 

Concordia gradually pulled away from ACU in the first half, reaching its first double-digit lead, 16-6, with 13:57 left before halftime, and led by as many as 18 points, 24-6, with 12:34 left. The Eagles led 46-30 at halftime. Concordia guard Ashley Engeln scored 15 points of her game- high 30 points in the first 20 minutes, and sophomore forward Sarah Beth Hock (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.), ACU's leading scorer and rebounder (12.9 ppg and 6.9 rpg), totaled 10 points and six rebounds in the opening half. 

Arizona Christian sliced Concordia's advantage to nine points, 48-39, with 16:23 left in the game on a three-pointer by senior guard Jessica Largo (Gallup, N.M./Rehoboth Christian School), but the Eagles rebuilt the lead to 18 points again, 59-41, with 11:04 remaining. Again ACU came back and trailed by eight points, 63-55, with 6:04 left, but drew no closer, and Concordia rebuilt its lead to as many as 16 points, 77-61, at the 3:33 mark. The Firestorm made 16 of 31 field goals (.516) and committed just eight turnovers in the second half, while Concordia made 13 of 34 shots (.382) and committed nine turnovers. 

Engeln finished with 30 points, hitting 12 of 20 shots and 3 three-pointers, and also gathered 17 rebounds and passed two assists. Off the Concordia bench, forward Jade Reed totaled 17 points, 13 rebounds and one blocked shot and also made 9 of her 10 free throw attempts. Guard Melody Chavez, pressed into service when two Concordia prospective starters were unable to start due to illness and injury suffered during pre-game warm-ups, added 11 points, 3 three-pointers, nine rebounds, four assists and one steal, and reserve guard Carlisha Phillips added seven points, two assists and one steal. Starting guards Nikki Kraus and Katie Ogdon combined for just six points, but Kraus passed six assists and had three steals, and Ogdon grabbed nine rebounds, passed four assists, blocked one shot and stole the ball from ACU once. 

Hock led ACU with 20 points on 9 of 15 shots and fell just one rebound short of a double-double with nine boards and also had two assists, one blocked shot and one steal. Largo totaled 11 points, 3 three-pointers, three rebounds, four assists, one blocked shot and two steals, and sophomore forward Stephanie Brimhall (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.) finished with 10 points, eight in the second half, hit 5 of 8 shots and had five assists, one blocked shot and one steal. Freshman guard Kiara White (Phoenix, Ariz./Washington H.S.) added nine points, one three- pointer, three rebounds and two steals.