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Arizona Christian University

OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE OF ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
WBB Preview Feb. 1 and 3 2024

Women's Basketball Payne Moses

Conference Push Hinges On Home Stand

Glendale, Ariz.- Home court is a sight for sore eyes, as the Lady Firestorm return to Glendale following an 0-2 trip in Orange County, California. The second half of the GSAC schedule is here, meaning eight teams get another crack at each other. Arizona Christian seeks to even up their season series with both Jessup and Menlo who won the first meeting in the opening week of GSAC play. The Jessup Warriors are slated for Thursday night and the Menlo Oaks get ACU's undivided attention on Saturday afternoon at ACU Events Center.

Through January 27th, the Firestorm rank second in GSAC scoring (75.4 PPG), rise to a tie for first (The Master's) in total rebounds per game (42.5) and are tied for second (Menlo) in free-throw percentage (74.9). Alyssa Alvarez only trails Vanguard's Melissa Akullu in GSAC scoring (19.8 PPG), Emily Till remains second in rebounding following a static weekend (10.8 RPG), and Alvarez and Lauren Gunn rank third and fourth in free-throw percentage (79.8 and 79.7).

Game Details

Arizona Christian vs. RV Jessup - Thursday, February 1 at 5:30 PM
Arizona Christian vs. #25 Menlo - Saturday, February 3 at 12:00 PM

ACU Events Center - Glendale, AZ

*All Times Listed Are Arizona Time

Tickets - https://acufirestorm.com/sports/2022/11/29/973_133142257298652889.aspx 

Prices- General Admission ($10), Alumni/Military/Senior ($5), ACU Students (Free), 12 and under (Free)

Live Coverage

Video - https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/azchristian 
Live Stats - https://acufirestorm.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary

Arizona Christian

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 stat line. 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.

ACU Key Players

Alyssa Alvarez - 19.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.4 APG
Lauren Gunn - 14.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.5 APG 
Graciela Roybal - 13.2 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.8 APG (5 games)
Halle Payne - 12.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.7 APG
Emily Till - 8.6 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 1.8 APG
Kayla Clark - 4.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.9 APG

Series Notes

After a 88-83 overtime loss on January 6th, ACU now trails Jessup 10-11 in their all-time series. The Firestorm are now 2-6 when playing at Warrior Arena. Down 14 early in the contest, Arizona Christian came all the way back to grab a lead (74-73) with 3:01 left in the fourth quarter. Once it was determined overtime was needed, the Firestorm's shooting abandoned them and resulted in a tight loss. Alyssa Alvarez broke the program's single-game scoring record with 46 points via 14-of-21 from the floor. ACU is 7-5 all-time at home against Jessup, winning the past three at ACU Events Center.

A miserable 77-43 loss to Menlo in their GSAC opener sees the Firestorm's all-time record at 6-13. The latest defeat extends the streak to six, dating back to February 2022. Arizona Christian registered its worst field goal percentage (23.8) of the season in Atherton and trailed 30-5 after the first quarter. Emily Till recorded her fourth consecutive double-double (11 points, 12 rebounds) in the game and Alyssa Alvarez was limited to eight points and 3-of-17 shooting. The Firestorm's last home win against Menlo came on January 19, 2019 when they played at Fultz Memorial Gymnasium. 

Coach Rusty Rogers' Thoughts

"It will be nice to get back on our own court this week as we head into the final seven games of conference play," Coach Rogers said. "We are still striving for consistency in our play that is needed to be successful. Not having our complete team available for a single game in our first 21 contests certainly hasn't been helpful, but we are confident that when that happens we can compete with the best. Jessup and Menlo are ahead of us in the standings so these are super important games for us!"
 
Jessup 

The Jessup University Warriors (17-4, 4-3 GSAC) have been on a rollercoaster this conference season, yo-yoing with wins and losses. This past Saturday, Jessup was handed their first home loss (10-1) by The Master's who utilized a late 8-0 scoring run to win 73-66. Andrea Jovicevic is the Warriors' top scorer (16.4 PPG) and rebounder (6.2 RPG) and Maila Lepolo leads the assist category (2.6 APG). Through seven GSAC games, Jessup is the second stingiest defense in the conference (61.3 PAPG) and second-best from behind the three-point arc (34.9%).

Menlo

The Menlo College Oaks (14-4, 7-0 GSAC) are first in the GSAC standings and the only undefeated team in conference play. They have won their previous 10 games dating back to December 21st against Montana State-Northern, eight of them decided by double-digit points. In their most recent game, the Oaks defeated Life Pacific 87-66 at Haynes-Prim Pavilion. Trailing 18-14 after the first quarter, Menlo outscored the visiting Warriors by 27 the rest of the way, led by Kiara Brown's 20 points and three others with double-digit points. Brown is the team's top scorer (17.1 PPG) and rebounder (9.3 RPG) and Shay Boley sits atop the assist ladder (4.4 APG). Menlo leads the GSAC in scoring (75.9 PPG), field goal percentage (45.6) and three-point percentage (35.9).


Roll Storm!
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Players Mentioned

Alyssa Alvarez

#20 Alyssa Alvarez

G
5' 11"
Senior
Kayla Clark

#23 Kayla Clark

G
5' 4"
Junior
Lauren Gunn

#10 Lauren Gunn

G
5' 7"
Sophomore
Halle Payne

#21 Halle Payne

P
5' 9"
Junior
Graciela Roybal

#3 Graciela Roybal

G
5' 4"
Junior
Emily Till

#14 Emily Till

P
6' 0"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Alyssa Alvarez

#20 Alyssa Alvarez

5' 11"
Senior
G
Kayla Clark

#23 Kayla Clark

5' 4"
Junior
G
Lauren Gunn

#10 Lauren Gunn

5' 7"
Sophomore
G
Halle Payne

#21 Halle Payne

5' 9"
Junior
P
Graciela Roybal

#3 Graciela Roybal

5' 4"
Junior
G
Emily Till

#14 Emily Till

6' 0"
Sophomore
P