STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Interstat) — Payton Hull scored a game-high 36 points, including a critical late surge, to lead Abilene Christian to a 72-67 victory over Tarleton State in a Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Wisdom Gym.

In a tight contest that saw 12 lead changes and eight ties, the Wildcats used a decisive 9-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to seize control for good. The win improved Abilene Christian to 19-7 overall and completed a regular-season sweep of the Texans, having also won 68-65 at home on Feb. 3. Tarleton State fell to 12-12.

The game was a back-and-forth affair with neither team leading by more than seven points. Tarleton State held a narrow 56-55 advantage entering the final period, largely behind the interior presence of 6-foot-6 center Elodie Lutbert, who finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

The Texans extended their lead to 59-57 on a Gia Adams jump shot with 5:06 remaining. From there, Hull took over. The 5-foot-10 guard from Peaster, Texas, answered with a 3-pointer on the next possession to put the Wildcats back in front, igniting the game-changing run. Natalia Chavez followed with another 3-pointer, and Hull capped the spurt with a second triple, pushing the Abilene Christian lead to 66-59 with 3:30 to play.

Tarleton State could not recover, managing only eight points in the final five minutes. The Texans missed several key opportunities inside, hampered by the Wildcats’ defense and their own shooting woes down the stretch. Tarleton State was held to just 11 points in the fourth quarter.

Hull’s performance was her fifth consecutive game with at least 19 points. She added five rebounds and played 40 minutes. Breanna Davis supported her with 12 points for Abilene Christian, which shot 22-for-28 from the free-throw line, including several clutch makes in the final minute to seal the win.

For Tarleton State, Adams contributed 11 points and seven assists. Kyriana Jones added 13 points and seven rebounds, and Jakoriah Long scored 14 points. The Texans outscored Abilene Christian 26-24 in the paint but were undone by 18 Wildcat points off turnovers.

The first half set the tone for the close battle. Tarleton State led 19-14 after one quarter, but Abilene Christian responded with an 18-point second quarter to tie the game at 32 by halftime. Hull had 15 points by the break. The third quarter was similarly even, with the Texans taking a one-point lead into the final frame.

A crowd of 1,127 watched the contest. According to Interstat’s ELO system, Abilene Christian entered with a 61.6% probability to win.

Abilene Christian next plays at Southern Utah on Feb. 22. Tarleton State travels to face Southern Utah on Feb. 18.