ACU 

PHOENIX, Ariz. - South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (8-3) from Rapid City led just 36-32 at halftime but outscored Arizona Christian University (3-5), 44-34, in the second half and defeated the Firestorm, 80-66, in collegiate women's basketball action, Friday, December 14, in Fultz Memorial Gym in Phoenix. ACU has lost its last four contests, and South Dakota Mines has won seven of its last eight. 

Arizona Christian, guided by second-year head coach Jerry Conner, hosts South Dakota Mines again on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 2 p.m., and takes on La Sierra University (Calif.), Thursday, Dec. 20, at 5:30 p.m., in Fultz Memorial Gym on the ACU campus in the Firestorm's final two games before Christmas. 

SDSMT led by six points twice in the first half, 10-4 and 12-6, but ACU went on a 17-6 run and held a seven-point lead, 23-16, with 9:26 left. But the Hardrockers closed the first half with an 11-2 run and led 36-32 at intermission. SDSMT scored 13 of its first-half points directly after 11 ACU turnovers. 

The visitors opened a 41-32 lead in the first 1:41 of the second half, but ACU rallied to tie the score at 41 with 15:47 remaining. After a 44-44 tie at the 14:18 mark, the Hardrockers opened a small lead that it never relinquished and continued to build the lead to double digits after eight consecutive points that gave SDSMT a 66-55 advantage with 5:28 left. The Hardrockers led by as many as 14 points three times in the final 2:44, including the final 80-66 margin. ACU contributed 18 second-half turnovers which SDSMT turned into 18 points. 

Freshman forward Olivia Antilla came off the bench for South Dakota Mines and scored a game-high 19 points, 11 in the first half, and also gathered nine rebounds and passed five assists. Senior guard Hillary Hawkins added 14 points, 10 in the second half, 2 three-pointers, eight 

rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots and four steals, and senior forward Katie Strandholm scored 10 points and had five rebounds, six assists, one blocked shot and five steals. Freshman forward Devyn Asche contributed 10 points, four rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal off the SDSMT bench. Junior center Renee Waters had six points, five rebounds and one steal, and guards Lexie Long and Alexis Mader finished with eight points, four assists and two steals and seven points, six rebounds, one three-pointer, one blocked shot and three steals respectively. 

ACU's only player to reach double figures in scoring, sophomore forward Stephanie Brimhall (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.) finished with 14 points and made all seven of her shot attempts and gathered six rebounds and blocked one shot. Sophomore forward Jamie Heath (Phoenix, Ariz./Thunderbird H.S.) nailed 3 three-pointers and totaled nine points, and senior guard Paula Clendaniel (Tucson, Ariz./Cienega H.S./York College (Neb.) added eight points with 2 three- pointers, two rebounds, two assists, one blocked shot and one steal. Freshman guard Kiara White (Phoenix, Ariz./Washington H.S.) contributed eight points, two rebounds and one blocked shot, and freshman guard Gabrielle Evans (Phoenix, Ariz./Arcadia H.S.) totaled five points, one three-pointer, four rebounds, seven assists, one blocked shot and two steals. Junior guard Tenisha Royston (Shiprock, N.M./Shiprock H.S./Scottsdale CC) totaled six points, three rebounds, four assists and one steal before fouling out with 1:24 left to play. 

Sophomore forward Sarah Beth Hock (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.), ACU's leading scorer and rebounder, finished with just four points, all in the last 1:38 of the game, six rebounds and two steals.