Gilbert, Ariz.- Trailing by four at halftime, the Lady Firestorm re-established their focus and overtook Park-Gilbert 70-59 thanks to an energized third quarter. Sophia Martinez played a vital role in ACU's comeback, knocking down four three-pointers in their 27-point third quarter. It was an efficient shooting night from Halle Payne (8-for-11) that held the Firestorm together and secured their third consecutive victory.

GAME INFO

Score: Arizona Christian 70 | Park University Gilbert 59
Records: ACU 5-1 (0-0 GSAC) | Park-Gilbert 1-1 (0-0 Cal Pac)
Location: Legacy Sports Complex - Gilbert, AZ

STAT TRACKER

Halle Payne - 20 pts, 7 rebs, 2 ast
Alyssa Alvarez - 16 pts, 9 rebs, 4 ast
Sophia Martinez - 12 pts, 2 rebs, 1 ast
Lauren Gunn - 8 pts, 2 rebs, 8 ast
Emily Till - 6 pts, 10 rebs, 1 ast

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair, ACU grabbing a 8-4 lead early but being matched by Park-Gilbert the rest of the way. Alyssa Alvarez and Halle Payne shot a combined 5-for-6 (12 points) and Emily Till added two buckets, on-route to a 46.7 field goal percentage. The Buccaneers shot poorly in comparison (6-for-22), but outrebounded the Firestorm 14-10, including 8-2 on the offensive glass. 

Holding a slim 16-15 lead, ACU went cold in the second quarter. The Firestorm were limited to nine total points and 4-for-17 from the field, including 0-for-11 from behind the three-point line. Park-Gilbert did not fare much better on the offensive end (5-for-20) but managed to hit three three-pointers to install a 29-25 edge going into the break.

A quick response would come from the Firestorm, as Payne and Alvarez fronted a 10-0 scoring run to begin the second half. ACU would not relinquish the lead from this point forward. Sophia Martinez would make her presence unmistakable in the third quarter, as she drained all four of three-point attempts. Payne was equally impressive with 11 points and two assists. The Buccaneers struggled to 0-for-7 behind the three-point arc, their leading scorer Kayla Schroeder (18 total points) only taking one shot.

While the final 10 minutes were not as flashy, the Firestorm controlled the glass just like in the third quarter with seven offensive rebounds and 15 total. After a quiet first three quarters, Lauren Gunn got some good looks in the final minutes, resulting in eight points. Alvarez closed out her 16-point performance with seven points and 3-for-4 shooting in the fourth. Unlike the previous quarter, the fourth was incredibly balanced, each team amassing 18 points on seven made field goals.

THOUGHTS FROM COACH RUSTY ROGERS

"Very disappointing first half–we seemed to be in a fog in every aspect of the game," Coach Rogers said. "Fortunately, we straightened things out with a wake-up call at halftime and came out for the final 20 minutes playing with an edge. Halle Payne really got us going and Sophia Martinez poured in some threes to really allow us to pull away! Very grateful for the final result."

NEXT UP FOR THE FIRESTORM

The Firestorm will finish their two-game road trip on Saturday, when they visit Silver City, New Mexico to face NCAA Division II Western New Mexico University (3-0). Tipoff will come at 1:00 PM MST. Follow the action with live stats at http://wnmumustangs.com/sidearmstats/wbball and watch the game at https://lonestarconferencenetwork.com/wnmu/.  
   

Roll Storm!