El Cajon, CA- In a perfect scenario for a trap game, #24 Arizona Christian escaped with a 55-51 win over San Diego Christian on Thursday.  Sophomore Toni Davis scored a game high 16 points.

After playing three straight Top 15 teams and beating two of them, earning a ranking in the NAIA Top 25 for the first time ever, and playing their first countable road game of the season, the Firestorm (14-3, 3-1 GSAC) produced a less stellar first half offensively.

In fact, neither team found their offense in the first 10 minutes as the teams combined for 14 points at the quarter break with the Hawks (7-11, 0-4 GSAC) ahead 8-6. 

Seventy-three seconds into the second quarter, ACU actually took the lead at 10-8 thanks to baskets from Junior Jada Willingham and Junior Courtney Christmas.  SDCC reclaimed the lead before Junior Makayla Enders tied the score at 12-12 and then once more at 14-14.  However, ACU would not score again in the final 4:42 of the half.  San Diego Christian ended the half on a 10-0 run for 24-14 edge.

The Firestorm shot just 18.5% in the first half while the Hawks were only at 28.6% themselves.  Six points was the high for a player on either team at the break.

The Hawks held on to the lead for the five plus minutes of the third quarter but the Firestorm were chipping away.  When Davis nailed a three pointer, ACU was ahead 33-32.  Lead changes and ties was the recipe for the rest of the quarter as the teams headed to the fourth quarter tied 42-42.

Down 44-42 with nine minutes to play, the Firestorm scored the next nine points to finally take the lead for good.  With the Hawks back within two and 1:23 to play, a free throw for Willingham and then one from Christmas beat the "trap" and ACU escaped with the win.

Behind Davis, Christmas ended up with 13 points, 9 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 4 assists.  Enders finished with 10 points.  Willingham grabbed double digit boards.

Head Coach Odell Berry stated, "It was a rough first half with only 14 points.  We played pretty good D but just did not score.  We got it going in the second half with a more normal 41 points and another decent defensive half but had to make up the deficit.  We will have to play better Saturday against Hope or we will not get the outcome we want."

On Saturday, the Firestorm will play Hope International in Fullerton at 1:00 pm PT/ 2:00 pm AT.