Prescott, Ariz.- The Lady Firestorm utilized a balanced attack in their first road game to come away with their second win over Embry-Riddle (AZ) in the 2023-24 season. A 74-65 final was touched by all five starters on ACU, who shot a combined 26-of-48 (54.1%) from the field. Alyssa Alvarez led with 21 points, Emily Till gathered 12 rebounds and Kayla Clark dished out five assists for the Firestorm.

GAME INFO

Score: Arizona Christian 74 | Embry-Riddle (AZ) 65
Records: ACU 3-1 (0-0 GSAC) | Embry-Riddle (AZ) 0-2 (0-0 Cal Pac)
Location: ERAU Activities Center - Prescott, AZ

STAT TRACKER

Alyssa Alvarez - 21 pts, 3 rebs, 1 ast
Halle Payne - 17 pts, 7 rebs, 1 ast
Lauren Gunn - 13 pts, 2 rebs, 1 ast
Kayla Clark - 8 pts, 6 rebs, 5 ast
Emily Till - 8 pts, 12 rebs, 2 ast

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

There was no scoring fest in the opening quarter, but the Firestorm shot an efficient 6-of-10 (60%) and got to the free-throw line with frequency, knocking down four of seven shots. Lauren Gunn was the top scorer for ACU, with five points including the lone three-pointer for the Firestorm. Raegen Henry hit the first of two free throws at the 1:42 mark, which gave ACU a 13-12 advantage. They would not surrender the lead the rest of the contest.

The second quarter was not as clean, the Firestorm regressing to 30.8% from the floor and tacking on five turnovers. Embry-Riddle (AZ) did not pounce on the opportunity as they also struggled offensively, shooting 26.3%. Unlike the other three quarters, Alyssa Alvarez bore the weight of the second 10 minutes accounting for nine of ACU's 13 points.

In the third quarter, the Firestorm's lead grew to seven (49-42). The Eagles would not go away easily, Zakiirah King and Micaela Hidalgo keeping ERAU within striking distance. Halle Payne found her scoring touch, nailing 3-of-4 shots and one free throw. Cynthia Lopez came off the bench and hit a clutch three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to provide the Firestorm with a seven point lead.

As has been the case in every game to this point, ACU kicked their offense into high gear in the fourth quarter. The Firestorm were a splendid 9-for-14 from the field and 7-for-9 from the free-throw line. Four of the five starters scored five or more points and they did not commit a single turnover. The Eagles also shot the ball well (8-for-18), including a perfect 3-for-3 and eight points from Hannah Urbano. However, the Firestorm's ball security was the key separator. 

THOUGHTS FROM COACH RUSTY ROGERS

"Super proud of our effort tonight," Coach Rogers said. "Embry-Riddle is a very good, tough team and to be able to defeat them twice in two weeks is an accomplishment for us–especially considering we lost twice to them last season! We had a very balanced effort from the squad and we got some great performances from our non-starters that really gave us a boost."

NEXT UP FOR THE FIRESTORM

The Firestorm bring a winning feeling back to the ACU Events Center, where they will host #6 Carroll College on Saturday. Tipoff will come at 4:00 PM. Follow the action with live stats at https://acufirestorm.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary and watch the game at https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/azchristian. 

   
Roll Storm!