ST. GEORGE, Utah (Interstat) — A surging Abilene Christian women’s basketball team looks to continue its climb in the Western Athletic Conference standings when it visits struggling Utah Tech on Thursday night at Burns Arena.

The Wildcats (14-5, 5-1 WAC) have won five of their last six games, including a dominant 82-54 victory over Southern Utah in their most recent outing on Jan. 17. They currently sit near the top of the conference. The Trailblazers (6-12, 1-6), meanwhile, have lost six of their last seven and are near the bottom of the league.

The teams met just four weeks ago in St. George, with Abilene Christian delivering an 81-51 rout. Wildcats guard Payton Hull was instrumental in that win, contributing 13 points and eight assists in just 23 minutes. Hull enters this rematch as a focal point, averaging 15.0 points per game over her last six contests. She is coming off a 21-point performance against Southern Utah.

Utah Tech will look for a much stronger showing on its home floor. Forward Lauren Crocker, who was held to just two points in 13 minutes in the Jan. 1 loss to ACU, has been more productive lately. She posted a 13-point, nine-rebound line in a loss at Southern Utah on Jan. 24 and scored 13 points in a win over Utah Valley on Jan. 10.

Abilene Christian’s success has been built on defense, holding opponents to 58.2 points per game during its current 5-1 stretch. Utah Tech has struggled offensively in conference play, failing to reach 65 points in six of its seven WAC games.

The Wildcats’ balanced attack behind Hull features Emma Troxell and Erin Woodson, who each scored 16 points in the win over Southern Utah. Utah Tech will need significant contributions beyond Crocker, with guards Kaylee Borden and Chardonnay Hartley tasked with facilitating the offense.

Thursday’s game is the start of a key two-game road swing for Abilene Christian, which plays at Southern Utah on Saturday. Utah Tech continues a homestand, hosting Tarleton State on Saturday.