Fullerton, Calif.- The Firestorm fell victim to a second quarter scoring burst (32-17) by the Hope International Royals, and were ultimately handed an 81-73 loss and an 0-2 weekend in Southern California. Despite a tough shooting night (25-of-70, 35.7%), ACU cut the deficit to eight with seven minutes remaining in the game after trailing by as many as 29 points with 2:05 left in the first half. Missed opportunities late by the Firestorm and steady play by the Royals sealed the final result.

Alyssa Alvarez eclipsed the 30-point mark (32) for the third time this season and added six rebounds and two steals to her statline. Halle Payne recorded her first double-double of the year (15 points, 13 rebounds) and fourth of her Firestorm career on 6-of-12 shooting and tallied three assists.

Through seven conference games, ACU sits in a tie for fifth with The Master's at 3-4.

GAME INFO

Score: Arizona Christian 73 | Hope International 81
Records: ACU 13-8 (3-4 GSAC) | HIU 12-5 (4-3 GSAC)
Location: Darling Pavilion - Fullerton, CA

STAT TRACKER

Alyssa Alvarez - 32 pts, 6 rebs, 2 stl
Halle Payne - 15 pts, 13 rebs, 3 ast
Lauren Gunn - 10 pts, 4 rebs, 2 ast
Taylor Teeple - 7 pts, 5 rebs, 1 stl
Graciela Roybal - 6 pts, 1 rebs, 1 ast

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

In the opening 10 minutes, the Firestorm struggled mightily from three-point range (1-of-8) and fell behind early because of it. ACU held a slim 9-8 lead halfway through the first before going cold and finding themselves down 22-14 when things settled. Alvarez led the team with five points on 2-of-5 from the field, up against HIU's Madeline Salud who put up eight points on 3-of-4 shooting.

The second segment defined the game's end result, as the Firestorm surrendered 32 points (11-of-19, 7-of-10 from three) to the host Royals. In contrast, ACU still could not find a rhythm from deep, firing a miserable 1-of-7 behind the three-point arc. No player on the Firestorm hit more than one field goal, and Alvarez once again led the way with six points. Halle Payne followed her closely with five. An amazing seven players from HIU got into the scoring column, led by Shianne Talley with eight.

ACU trimmed a 23-point deficit to 16 at the end of the third (69-53). The defense stepped up, as the Royals were held to under 30% (5-of-19) in the quarter. Rebounding was about as close as possible (14-13, HIU) and turnovers did not play into the composition. Alvarez ascended into the double digits (11 points) by the end of the third stanza and HIU was led by Anyah Shamburger with five points.

With the first bounce of the basketball in the fourth, the Firestorm showed they were very much alive. They went on a quick 8-0 scoring run in the first 1:59 to pull within eight. The Royals, however, did not blink and responded with three straight made baskets to push the lead back up to 14 (75-61) with 5:50 to play. A rare three-point hit by Alvarez in the game made it a nine-point game, but an immediate three by HIU's Salud put the Firestorm's hope of a comeback to bed.

THOUGHTS FROM COACH RUSTY ROGERS

"Another game that is hard to explain," Coach Rogers said. "Hope absolutely shoots the lights out in the first half and we are ice cold… Next thing you know, it's an eight-point deficit with over seven minutes left in the game. This game (again) was just like our season– overcoming adversity and challenges. You would be hard pressed to find one team in the country that has been dealt as much adversity as this group has– yet they consistently battle until the end!"

NEXT UP FOR THE FIRESTORM

Following a 0-2 trip in Southern California, the Firestorm look to bounce back at home, where they boast a 9-3 record this season. ACU faces RV Jessup (17-4, 4-3 GSAC) for the second time after falling 88-83 in overtime at Warrior Arena. Tipoff from ACU Events Center comes at 5:30 PM on Thursday, February 1st. Follow the action with live stats at https://acufirestorm.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary and watch the broadcast at https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/azchristian. 

   
Roll Storm!