PHOENIX, Ariz. - Rocky Mountain College (3-4) from Billings, Montana, outscored Arizona Christian University (3-4), 34-9, in the first 9:14 of the second half on its way to a 92-78 collegiate women's basketball over the Firestorm, Saturday, December 8, at the Arizona Christian Women's Basketball Classic in Fultz Memorial Gym in Phoenix. ACU has lost its last three contests. 

In Saturday's first game at the ACU Classic, California State University (5-9) defeated Johnson and Wales University (4-9) from Denver, Colorado, 79-74, its second win of the weekend. 

Arizona Christian, guided by second-year head coach Jerry Conner, hosts a pair of games against South Dakota School of Mines and Technology from Rapid City, S.D., Friday, Dec. 14, at 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 15, at 2 p.m., in Fultz Gymnasium on the ACU campus. 

The score was tied five times, and the lead exchanged sides seven times in the first half before Both teams led by as many as six points in the half, but after a 34-34 tie, Rocky Mountain led the rest of the half, gaining its six-point lead, 42-36, with 1:26 remaining, and the Bears led 45-41 at halftime. 

Forward Taylor Hurst scored seven of her 18 points during Rocky Mountain's second-half spurt, and guard Brittany Kumm buried 2 three-pointers for six points, and reserve guard Mariah Gondeiro also scored six points during the run. Rocky Mountain's widest advantage of the game was 79-50 with 10:46 left in the game, and the Bears stayed ahead by 21 or more points for over six minutes, until ACU whittled the lead down to the final 14-point margin in the last four minutes of the contest. RMC shot .514 (19-37) from the field in the second half. 

Reserve center Marisa Morais led all scorers with 20 points, 11 in the first half and five more during RMC's second-half run, and also gathered eight rebounds, blocked one shot and had two steals. Hurst finished with 18 points, 10 in the second half, 3 three-pointers, nine rebounds and 

three steals, and Gondeiro also scored 18 points, 12 in the first half, and made 3 three-pointers, gathered six rebounds and passed three assists. Guard Haleigh Crnkovich added eight points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals, and guard Kalli McCloskey contributed eight points and seven assists. Kumm scored eight points with 2 three-pointers and four rebounds, and forward Brittany Myers finished with six points, eight rebounds, five assists and one steal. 

Sophomore forward Stephanie Brimhall (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.) paced ACU in scoring with 12 points and had seven rebounds and one steal, and freshman guard Gabrielle Evans (Phoenix, Ariz./Arcadia H.S.) finished with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal. Sophomore forward Sarah Beth Hock (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.), ACU's leading scorer and rebounder, finished nine points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots, and senior guard Jessica Largo (Gallup, N.M./Rehoboth Christian School) contributed nine points, 2 three-pointers and one steal. Senior guard Paula Clendaniel (Tucson, Ariz./Cienega H.S./York College (Neb.) added nine points, 2 three-pointers, two rebounds, two assists and three steals. 

Junior forward Aria Ham (Peoria, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain H.S./Arizona Western College) and junior guard Jubilee Sutherland (Glennallen, Alaska/Glennallen H.S./Eastern Wyoming College) each scored eight points with 2 three-pointers and four rebound. Sutherland also blocked one shot and had two steals. Junior guard Tenisha Royston (Shiprock, N.M./Shiprock H.S./Scottsdale CC) totaled four points, three rebounds, nine assists, two blocked shots and two steals, and freshman guard Kiara White (Phoenix, Ariz./Washington H.S.) accounted for seven points, three rebounds, one three-pointer and three assists.