by ABILENE – Natalia Chavez’s career performance fueled Abilene Christian women’s basketball to a 76-58 win over UT Rio Grande Valley at Moody Coliseum on Tuesday night. The Wildcats achieved a 3-0 start for the first time since the 2021-22 season as Chavez poured in a career-best 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting with six three-pointers.
ACU looks to continue its hot start when it makes its first road trip of the year to meet Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas at 5:30 p.m. Friday. The Wildcats are aiming for their first win over the Ladyjacks since 2020.
ACU shot .409 from the field with a .324 mark from beyond the arc. The Wildcats forced 25 Vaquero turnovers behind 15 steals and turned them into 24 points. Chavez was one of five ACU players to score in the double figures, as Meredith Mayes recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, matching her career high in boards.
The Wildcats have forced 87 turnovers by their opponents through three games this season, averaging 29 per contest.
Chavez was responsible for half of the Wildcats’ 12 three-pointers. Payton Hull and Erin Woodson combined for 22 points and four steals apiece, and Emma Troxell scored 10 points of her own. Freshman Riley Grohman came away with three steals and seven points, while Breanna Davis steered the offense with a career-best seven assists.
ACU took a 17-11 lead through the first quarter, led by a pair of three-pointers by Chavez. The Wildcats nailed a third of their 18 field goal attempts while forcing eight Vaquero turnovers, with Woodson tallying three steals. Mayes brought down six rebounds, including three on the offensive glass.
ACU took a 31-22 lead into halftime after limiting UTRGV to 11 points in the second quarter. The Wildcats scored 14 points of their own and forced six Vaquero turnovers. Mayes pulled down three rebounds and Hull gained two steals. A layup by Woodson with six seconds remaining gave ACU its largest lead thus far at the break.
The Wildcats came out of the gates with intensity in the second half, outscoring the Vaqueros 25-15 and leading by as much as 22 with 54 seconds to go in the period. Chavez sank three consecutive three-pointers within less than two minutes to give ACU its biggest advantage of the night.
ACU connected on nine of 17 field goal attempts and turned seven UTRGV turnovers into 10 points. Chavez nailed each of her three attempts from long distance, and Davis dished out four assists, two of which came on Chavez treys. Jordyn Coleman brought down three rebounds with a block.
The Vaqueros’ most productive period came in the fourth with 21 points, but the Wildcats scored 20 to keep the visitors at bay. As both teams emptied their benches, Grohman scored five points and grabbed two steals as she produced on both ends of the floor.
