Box Score
ABILENE – The Tarleton TexAnns were held to just four field goals over the final 11 minutes of the game, but it was the final one that mattered most as Tarleton's Brittnie Haley made a layup as time expired giving the TexAnns a 66-64 win over Abilene Christian at Kimbrell Arena in Abilene on Wednesday.
Tarleton improved to 20-5 on the season, giving head coach Ronnie Hearne his first 20-win season as head coach of the TexAnns.
“The most important thing was just getting the win and keeping pace ahead of ACU in the regional standings,” Hearne said. “But, when I start to think about it, the two-zero does sound pretty good. I'm happy to get it and it does feel good that is for sure.”
The win pushed the TexAnns to 7-3 in the Lone Star Conference South Division as well, two games ahead of the Wildcats (14-9) who fell to 4-4 in south division play.
The TexAnns swept the Wildcats for the first time since 2006 and now own the tiebreaker should the two teams be tied at the end of the season.
Talreton took an early six-point lead on a layup from JoAnne Jones with 14:35 left to play and later built the lead up to 10 points with another layup from Jones at the 12:47 mark.
ACU scored the next four points to pull back within six points, but the TexAnns countered with a 6-0 run to increase their lead to 22-10 with 8:39 left to play in the period.
The TexAnns took its biggest lead of the half with 1:33 when Sonya Sundberg hit a three-pointer to make it a 35-19 game, but the Wildcats scored the final five points before heading into the locker room to make it an 11-point game in favor of the TexAnns.
Haley led the team with 13 points and four rebounds at the half, while ACU's Jamie Meyer led the Wildcats with nine points and six boards. The TexAnns scored 15 points off 12 ACU turnovers in the first period and outscored the Wildcats 6-2 off the bench.
ACU scored the first four points to open the second half, but Tarleton finally managed to score a basket and then Morgan Stehling's floater with 17:53 put the TexAnns back on top by 11, up 39-28.
Both teams traded baskets over the next four minutes, but the TexAnns managed to push the lead to 14 points and take a 49-35 lead with 13:42 left to play. A 4-0 run by the Wildcats pulled ACU back to within 11 points, but Tarleton countered with a 4-0 run themselves to push it back to a 14-point lead.
ACU pulled all the way back to within five points of the TexAnns after an 11-2 run made it 55-50 with 8:45 left to play. The score stayed that way over the next two minutes until ACU's Jody Meyer scored on a layup with 6:39 remaining to make it a 55-52 game still in favor of the TexAnns.
Haley was fouled with 4:56 left and she made one of two from the free-throw line to give the TexAnns their first point since the 10:38 mark. Jo. Meyer was then fouled and went to the line with 4:25 left to play and she sank both her attempts to pull the Wildcats to within two points, down 56-54.
From the 3:30 mark until there were just 52 seconds remaining in the game, both teams traded baskets and Tarleton's lead was still just two points, up 64-62. Both teams missed buckets on their ensuing possessions and with 12.3 seconds left ACU had possession of the ball that allowed ACU head coach Shawna Lavender to call a timeout.
ACU ran its offensive play and Ja. Meyer scored a bucket inside the paint to tie the game 64-64.
The Wildcats immediately called a timeout, allowing the TexAnns to set up a play with 7.6 seconds remaining on the clock. Shelby Adamson collected the inbounds pass at the far end of the court and ran coast to coast, but her attempt to score was derailed when Jo. Meyer stepped into the lane in front of her. That left Haley wide open for the easy layup and after a meeting with the referees at the scorer's table – it was official that Haley's basket counted, giving the TexAnns the 66-64 win.
"I didn't know who much time we had left, I just put up the shot," Haley said after the win. "I didn't even watch if fall through, I knew it was going in and it was a great feeling."
Haley finished the game with a team-high 22 points and Jones followed with 14 points. Ja. Meyer finished the game with 34 points, by far the most by one player the TexAnns have given up all season.
Tarleton shot just under 46 percent on the night and allowed ACU to shoot 47 percent, but it was Tarleton's 23 points compared with the Wildcats' 18 points off turnovers that made the difference in the game.
The TexAnns will return home this Saturday, Feb. 20 to host Texas A&M-Kingsville in another anticipated rematch for the TexAnns. Saturday will be senior night as well as the WBCA's Pink Zone night. All fans are encouraged to wear pink to hear support the awareness of breast cancer.
