Phoenix, AZ- In a game that featured 98 rebounds- a combined season high for an ACU game- Arizona Christian came short up 51-46 against #24 Carroll (MT) on Saturday afternoon.  Senior Madison Austin scored a game high 17 points while Senior Jazmin Mays pulled down a team high seven player rebounds.

After the Saints (10-0) scored the first basket of the game 31 seconds in, the next three plus minutes are a perfect snapshot of the game- light on the scoring and heavy on the rebounding.  A three pointer from Freshman Courtney Christmas was surrounded by 11 combined rebounds by the teams in that time frame.

Two points from Freshman Jada Willingham and two more points from Christmas gave the Firestorm (5-4) a 7-4 edge.  Carroll scored the next four points before Austin gave ACU back the lead with a three pointer.  The final four points of the quarter were scored by Carroll for a 12-10 lead at the quarter break.

Christmas scored on a jumper in the paint to tie the score at 10-10 early in the second quarter.  However, the Saints went to work on the offensive boards and outscored the Firestorm 20-13 for a 32-23 lead at the break.

The two teams accounted for a combined 47 rebounds in the opening 20 minutes of action.  Carroll's Baylee Watson gave ACU fits as she pulled down 10 rebounds- including six offensive boards- in the first half alone.  Watson would finish with 14 rebounds.

Austin and Christmas scored seven points each before the break.

Defense and rebounding was the name of the game for both teams in the third quarter especially for the Firestorm as they held the Saints to just three points.  The teams went a combined 3-27 from the field in the third ten minute session while 24 rebounds were accounted for in the quarter.  Despite ACU winning the quarter 10-3 and a pair of free throws by Christmas briefly giving the Firestorm a lead, they still found themselves down 35-33 after 30 minutes of play.

Scoring picked up in the fourth quarter and ACU tied the score three times.  But Carroll outlasted Arizona Christian in the final five minutes to secure the win.

The final whistle saw the Saints outrebound the Firestorm 52-46.  Carroll had two players pull down double digit rebounds.  ACU was led by 13 team rebounds which are created by shots going out of play or denied by a foul before being secured.  Mays grabbed five of her rebounds after the break.

Christmas scored 10 points to become the only other ACU player besides Austin to reach double digit scoring.

For the Firestorm, they now face quite a break as they will not play again for two weeks when they open GSAC play at Biola in La Mirada on Saturday, December 12.  The game will be played at 2:00 pm (PT)/ 3:00 pm (AT).