Phoenix, AZ- On Saturday, Arizona Christian Women's Basketball opened GSAC play by hosting #1 Vanguard and pushed the Lions to overtime before falling 79-75.  Junior Courtney Christmas scored a team high 20 points.  Junior Makayla Enders shot 6-10 from the field on her way to 17 points.

The Firestorm (11-3, 0-1 GSAC) grabbed the early lead and were ahead 9-2 five minutes into the game.  Enders scored five of the nine points.  But the Lions (11-0, 2-0 GSAC) used a 10-0 run to grab the lead.

Four lead changes took place before the end of the first quarter with Vanguard holding a 16-15 edge after ten minutes.  Junior Jada Willingham and Enders made baskets to move ACU on top.

After several more lead changes to begin the second quarter, the teams were knotted at 25-25 with 5:13 to go before the half.  However, VU rolled off another big run (12-0) to take a 37-25 edge. 

By the half, the score was 39-28 Vanguard.  Enders and Sophomore Toni Davis were at eight points.

When the third quarter started, the Firestorm turned the tide as they used a full court press to create easy baskets.  In fact, a sequence of a steal by Christmas, outlet pass to Willingham, laid back for an oncoming Davis erased the deficit and gave ACU a 48-46 lead.  The Lions took the lead back and were out front 54-51 at the end of the quarter.

A back and forth fourth quarter found ACU down 68-66 with 25 seconds to play.  But Christmas knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the score and force the first overtime game of the year for ACU.

The Firestorm retied the game once in the extra session but then could not quite pull off the upset.

Christmas scored 15 points in the second half and OT.   Enders had nine to reach her 17 total points.  Junior Jac Moody added eight points to reach her total of 13 points. Davis (13) and Willingham (12) also reached double figures.

ACU forced 27 turnovers but were outrebounded 51-30.

On Thursday, the Firestorm will host #15 The Master's at 5:30 pm.