Glendale, Ariz.- The Lady Firestorm said their goodbyes to 2023 and a lack-luster first quarter, by outscoring the Park Gilbert Buccaneers by 20 points in the final 30 minutes to seal a 77-66 win. Alyssa Alvarez posted a season-high 26 points and Emily Till dazzled with her third straight double-double (12 points, 12 rebounds) going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and conceding only one turnover. ACU earned their 10th win of the season and has now defeated three opponents twice (Park Gilbert, Embry-Riddle (AZ) and Justice College).

GAME INFO

Score: Arizona Christian 77 | Park Gilbert 66
Records: ACU 10-4 (0-0 GSAC) | Park Gilbert 5-6 (3-1 Cal Pac)
Location: ACU Events Center - Glendale, AZ

STAT TRACKER

Alyssa Alvarez  - 26 pts, 5 rebs, 3 ast
Emily Till - 12 pts, 12 rebs, 3 ast
Halle Payne - 11 pts, 3 rebs, 3 ast
Cynthia Lopez - 9 pts, 2 rebs, 1 ast
Addison Neal - 8 pts, 1 rebs, 1 ast

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

The Firestorm came out flat in the opening quarter, falling behind 20-11 as they managed 5-for-16 from the floor. While Park Gilbert gathered 13 rebounds, ACU only handled six boards and one second-chance opportunity. The visiting Buccaneers did not hit a three-pointer in the first, but Madison Chappell's six points led an efficient 10-for-17 outing.

It would be a quick response from the Firestorm, who reeled off three three-pointers as part of an 11-3 scoring run to begin the second quarter. Park Gilbert went on a run of their own to reestablish a nine-point advantage (33-24) with 4:46 remaining in the half. Addison Neal sank her second three-pointer of the quarter to stall the Buccaneers' momentum. ACU ended the half by swinging the game back in their favor, scoring eight unanswered points to cut the deficit to one (36-35). Neal shone the brightest for the Firestorm, going a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and racking up eight points.

Out of the break, ACU picked up right where they left off and blitzed Park Gilbert on the fast break. Their 10 unanswered points to begin the third quarter made it 18 straight going back to the end of the first half. Alyssa Alvarez found her stroke from range, knocking down a couple of threes and accounting for nine of the first 13 points scored by the Firestorm. The pedal would not stay down, however, as ACU committed four turnovers to close out the quarter and the Buccaneers pulled within striking distance with late buckets by Jenny Todd and Bobbi Clark (55-52).

The fourth quarter was not flashy, but the Firestorm never relinquished the lead thanks to solid work at the free-throw line (11-for-14) and timely defense. With the game still in the balance, the Firestorm sealed the victory with steals on three consecutive Park Gilbert possessions that pushed the lead to 73-59 with 3:18 left in the contest. ACU held the Buccaneers to their worst offensive quarter of the night (3-for-18) and blanked them from behind the three-point line (0-for-5).

THOUGHTS FROM COACH RUSTY ROGERS

"Very proud of our team tonight," Coach Rogers said. "We have endured major injuries to several key players and illness to many others but persevered to finish strong against a very formidable opponent. Tremendous life lesson of handling adversity and overcoming obstacles that will bode well for their life! Lots of ladies have stepped up into significant playing roles to keep us competitive. The road won't get any easier as we step into GSAC play next week."

NEXT UP FOR THE FIRESTORM

The Firestorm will kick off 2024 with a two-game road trip, beginning with Menlo (6-4) on January 4th. Tipoff is set for 5:30 PM MST, as GSAC play will officially get underway. Follow the action with live stats at https://acufirestorm.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary and watch the broadcast at https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/azchristian. 

   
Roll Storm!