ABILENE, Texas (Interstat) — A dominant performance from Meredith Mayes and a suffocating defensive effort propelled the Abilene Christian Wildcats to a 60-48 victory over the Montana Lady Griz in a non-conference women’s basketball game Friday night at Moody Coliseum.

Mayes, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Bixby, Oklahoma, scored a game-high 24 points on efficient 11-of-17 shooting from the field, adding a block and a steal in 32 minutes to lead all players. Her interior presence was the focal point of an Abilene Christian offense that, while struggling from the perimeter, consistently found ways to score at the rim and draw fouls.

The Wildcats improved to 7-4 on the season, while Montana fell to 2-8, unable to sustain a promising start.

The game’s decisive stretch began late in the first quarter and extended through a frigid second period for the visitors. Montana, led early by the backcourt duo of Aby Shubert and Avery Waddington, burst out to a 15-4 lead, hitting three of its first five three-point attempts. Shubert, a 5-8 guard from Kasson, Minnesota, finished with 11 points, while Waddington, a 6-3 forward from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, added 13 points and three assists.

However, the offensive rhythm vanished as abruptly as it appeared. The Lady Griz managed just six points in the entire second quarter, missing 10 of their 11 field goal attempts in the period. Meanwhile, Abilene Christian methodically chipped away. A driving layup by Payton Hull, who had 14 points, and a late steal and score by Mayes keyed a 13-2 run that gave the Wildcats a 29-27 halftime lead they would not relinquish.

The most important part of the game was Montana’s prolonged scoring drought, which spanned nearly nine minutes of game time from the end of the first quarter into the second. During that stretch, the Lady Griz committed five turnovers and saw several shots around the rim roll out, allowing Abilene Christian to completely erase the early deficit and seize control of the tempo.

Abilene Christian extended its lead in the third quarter, opening with a quick 6-0 spurt to go up by eight. Montana never got closer than five points the rest of the way. The Wildcats maintained their advantage by dominating the paint, outscoring Montana 36-20 inside, and by capitalizing at the free-throw line, making 15 of 23 attempts compared to Montana’s 7-of-10.

Despite shooting a dismal 3 for 26 from three-point range, Abilene Christian’s defense ensured it didn’t matter. The Wildcats forced 12 Montana turnovers, converting them into 14 points, and limited the Lady Griz to 34 percent shooting from the field. Montana’s offensive rating of 75.3 points per 100 possessions underscored the struggle.

Erin Woodson provided valuable support for Abilene Christian with 11 points, three assists and a block. For Montana, Mack Konig scored 12 points but committed six of her team’s turnovers.

The Wildcats also received a boost from Emma Troxell, who contributed nine points, nine rebounds and two assists, anchoring the defensive effort on the glass. Montana’s Jocelyn Land grabbed a team-high six rebounds.

Abilene Christian will look to build on the win Saturday when it hosts Buffalo. Montana, concluding a tough Texas road swing, faces Tarleton State on Saturday in Abilene before opening Big Sky Conference play in the new year.