Rocklin, Calif.- The Lady Firestorm demonstrated what it means to have a short memory, as they battled Jessup till the final whistle in a 88-83 overtime defeat. Less than 48 hours removed from a season-worst 43 points, ACU fought valiantly and nearly erased a 14-point deficit in their second GSAC game of 2023-24. 

Alyssa Alvarez set the program's single-game scoring record (39, Courtney Christmas (January 31, 2019)) with 46 points in the contest. She accomplished this feat with 14-of-21 shooting, including 7-of-12 from three-point range and 11-of-13 from the charity stripe. Besides the above record, Alvarez tied the second-most field goals made in a single game (14).

Halle Payne contributed 13 points and a resurgent Lauren Gunn notched 12 of her own after missing six regular season match-ups. Though her double-double streak ended at four, Emily Till registered double-digit rebounds (12) for the fifth straight game and 10th game overall this season.

GAME INFO

Score: Arizona Christian 83 |RV Jessup 88
Records: ACU 10-6 (0-2 GSAC) |RV Jessup 15-1 (2-0 GSAC)
Location: Warrior Arena - Rocklin, CA

STAT TRACKER

Alyssa Alvarez - 46 pts, 5 rebs, 1 ast
Halle Payne - 13 pts, 5 rebs, 1 ast
Lauren Gunn - 12 pts, 2 rebs, 1 ast
Emily Till - 4 pts, 12 rebs, 3 stl
Kayla Clark - 2 pts, 4 rebs, 3 ast

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

ACU got down 21-9 in the opening quarter before rattling off 10 unanswered points in the final 2:48 to pull within two. Alvarez and Payne accounted for 17 of the Firestorm's 19 points (10 and 7 respectively). Jessup saw two players put up five points (Andrea Jovicevic and Brianna Byrnes) as they corralled four offensive rebounds to ACU's zero.

The Warriors pushed their lead to the largest all game (14) with 5:02 remaining in the first half, shooting 8-of-12 from the floor to open the quarter. Alvarez single-handedly kept the Firestorm in the ball game, knocking down five three-pointers and scoring the team's final 16 points of the half to pull within eight (48-40). Though ACU did not manage an offensive board for a second straight quarter, they won the turnover battle only committing one to Jessup's five.

Unlike the opening half, the scoring load was a bit more spread out for ACU in the third quarter. Five different Firestorm got into the points column as they inched closer to the Warriors (19-17, ACU). The deficit was as little as one (50-49) with 5:48 left, but Jessup retained its advantage with a 15-10 run to close the third. Alvarez and Payne led the way with six points and ACU earned a 14-10 rebound edge while only surrendering two turnovers.

Gunn's layup with 3:01 remaining in the game gave the Firestorm their second lead of the contest (74-73), as ACU shut down Jessup from behind the three-point line (0-of-3) and did not allow a single free throw attempt. Following a successful bucket from Jovicevic, Alvarez had the chance to win the game outright but her missed three meant overtime.

It seemed as if the well had run dry, for the Firestorm missed their first six shots in overtime and were down nine (88-79) with only 1:30 remaining. A fast-break gem by Cynthia Lopez and additional score by Gunn kept ACU's hopes above water but the clock was ultimately not on their side.

THOUGHTS FROM COACH RUSTY ROGERS

"Unlike Thursday night, we really competed today," Coach Rogers said. "Down 14 early, but we responded with toughness and hustle. It certainly helps to have someone like Alyssa Alvarez produce at a rate I haven't seen in over 1,200 games as a head coach! She was brilliant! Very proud of how we responded after such a miserable game less than 48 hours earlier."

NEXT UP FOR THE FIRESTORM

The Firestorm return to Glendale next Thursday to take on Life Pacific (9-4), as they attempt to get their first conference win this season. Tipoff from ACU Events Center will come at 5:30 PM. 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!