Glendale, Ariz.- Lights out free-throw shooting and clutch bench play led the Firestorm to a 79-72 home win over RV The Master's on Saturday. A tightly contested game through three quarters (55-54, ACU), the Firestorm outscored the visiting Mustangs 24-18 in the final frame to secure their second GSAC victory.

ACU's ninth home win this season was fronted by Alyssa Alvarez, who racked up 31 points that featured a whopping 16-of-17 from the free throw stripe. Despite coming off the bench for the first time all year, Emily Till maximized her 27 minutes by amassing a 14 point, 15 rebound double-double (her fifth of 2023-24). 

Through four conference games, ACU has a level record of 2-2 and sit in the middle of the GSAC standings.

GAME INFO

Score: Arizona Christian 79 | RV The Master's 72
Records: ACU 12-6 (2-2 GSAC) | RV The Master's 14-3 (2-2 GSAC)
Location: ACU Events Center - Glendale, AZ

STAT TRACKER

Alyssa Alvarez - 31 pts, 1 rebs, 1 ast
Emily Till - 14 pts, 15 rebs, 2 ast
Graciela Roybal - 9 pts, 3 rebs, 2 ast
Kayla Clark - 8 pts, 5 rebs, 3 ast
Halle Payne - 7 pts, 8 rebs, 1 ast

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

The visiting Mustangs got off to a fast start, grabbing a 6-1 lead after 3:07 transpired in the opening quarter. Halle Payne got the home crowd into it with a three-point hit as the Firestorm's first field goal. It was not till 1:01 remaining that ACU took its first lead (20-19), as Graciela Roybal drained a three-pointer following a steal by Emily Till. Laney Grider of The Master's sank a float jumper in the paint (nine points in the quarter) to put the Mustang's nose in front 21-20 in an equally matched 10 minutes.

Both pace and scoring fell as the second quarter played out, the two squads shooting a combined 7-for-29 from the floor. The Mustang's Belle Hernandez took the lid of the hoop, as her three-pointer at 7:34 was the first bucket by either team. Till's jump shot was true with 5:02 left in the quarter, keeping the Firestorm within two (24-22). With possessions at a premium, the Firestorm hit three of their last five shots to overtake the Mustangs 32-30 at the break. 

Coming out in the second half, the offensive fire that was lit in the first quarter returned with the advent of the third. Bucket for bucket, three-pointer for three-pointer, The Master's seemed to match ACU. Kayla Clark and Alyssa Alvarez each hit a three to maintain a two-point edge (45-43). Till made her sixth and seventh field goals of the contest with 4:00 to play. Three-pointers from Hernandez and Chloe Auble lifted The Master's clear of ACU for the first time since early in the second quarter (51-49). A tough two-point basket and second three by Roybal offset another long-range ball by Auble, ACU clinging to a 55-54 lead heading into the fourth.

The final frame and the game's outcome would be decided at the free-throw line, as the Firestorm sank 16-of-20 compared to the Mustang's 3-for-7. Alvarez was the aggressor, earning four trips to the charity stripe and going a flawless 8-for-8. Surrendering their slim lead early, the Firestorm tied it back up (61-61) as an offensive board by Roybal turned into three points from Alvarez. Thirteen of ACU's final 15 points would be deposited at the free-throw line. The Firestorm would overcome six turnovers in the quarter with a display of lockdown defense, holding them to 3-of-12 with the game all but decided (75-68) with 25 seconds remaining.

THOUGHTS FROM COACH RUSTY ROGERS

"Very important victory for us against  a very formidable opponent," Coach Rogers said. "Anytime you can defeat a team ahead of you in the conference standings it's valuable. Again, extremely proud of our team's resiliency, as it was on display today." 

NEXT UP FOR THE FIRESTORM

The Firestorm have a small break from the usual conference schedule, as they face rival OUAZ (10-4, 0-4 GSAC) on Saturday, January 20th. Tipoff from Faith Arena arrives at 12:00 PM. Follow the action with live stats at https://ouazspirit.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary and watch the broadcast at https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/azchristian. 

   
Roll Storm!