Glendale, AZ. – After losing for the first time in five games, it took another quarter before the Lady Firestorm rediscovered their shooting touch, but once they did, they were lights out the rest of the way and put away the Skylights of Montana State-Northern by a score of 70-57.
It was a slow start for both teams as halfway through the first quarter only four combined field goals had been made, and the Skylights led 5-4. From there thought, the Skylights began to heat up and got scores from four different ladies, and finished the first quarter on a 12-4 run, and led 17-8.
Halle Payne led the Firestorm with four points in the quarter, scoring their first and last points of the period.
The second quarter saw both teams shoot the ball well. The Skylights scored the first bucket of the period on a jumper by Shyann Krass, but the Lady Firestorm responded with back-to-back three pointers by
Alyssa Alvarez and
Lauren Gunn to pull back within four. It was a back-and-forth affair from there with Alvarez leading the scoring effort with ten points in the quarter while receiving help from bench players Gunn,
Taylor Schwab, and Shaylnn De Yager. It was an Alvarez three pointer with 4:03 remaining that gave the Firestorm their first lead of the game. The lead was short lived though as the Skylights finished the period on a 10-2 run to enter halftime with a five-point lead, 35-30.
The tide turned in the third quarter when the Firestorm turned up the defensive pressure and held the Skylights to 18% shooting and scored 8 of their 23 points off turnovers. Having been held in check much of the game,
Graciela Roybal finally broke through hitting a three pointer and then three free throws. It was Roybal's third free throw which gave the Firestorm the lead once again, and this time they would not relinquish it again. Coach Rogers subbed back in Schwab and Gunn, the former immediately extending the lead on a layup, and the latter hitting back-to-back mid-range jumpers.
Alana Washington extended the lead to ten, and then Roybal came back in to finish the scoring with two free throws, and the five point deficit the Firestorm started the period with, ended with them entering the fourth quarter with a twelve-point lead.
The Skylights never got closer than nine points the rest of the way as the Firestorms veteran core of Alvarez,
Emily Till,
Halle Payne, and
Lauren Gunn kept every attempt for a comeback at bay and secured the final margin.
GAME INFO
Score: Arizona Christian 70 | Montana State-Northern 57
Records: ACU 11-2 (0-0 GSAC) | Montana State-Northern 7-5 (0-0 Frontier)
Location: Chandler-Gilbert CC (Chandler, AZ)
STAT TRACKER
Alyssa Alvarez - 14 pts, 4 rebs, 4 ast
Halle Payne - 12 pts, 3 rebs
Emily Till - 8 pts, 12 rebs, 3 ast, 2 blk
Lauren Gunn – 9 pts
Taylor Schwab – 8 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast
NEXT UP FOR THE FIRESTORM
It is a quick turnaround for the Firestorm as they take on #21 Carroll College on Saturday. Tip off for is at 2:00pm.
Roll Storm!