ABILENE, Texas (Interstat) — Abilene Christian opened its women’s NCAA Division I basketball season by routing non-divisional visiting Howard Payne 108-32 at Moody Coliseum (Abilene) in Abilene, Texas. The Wildcats, who are the home team, moved to 1-0. The game was played Monday and drew an attendance of 637. Howard Payne scored eight points in the first quarter, 10 in the second, 12 in the third and two in the fourth. Abilene Christian scored 28 in the first quarter, 23 in the second, 31 in the third and 26 in the fourth. Howard Payne was the visiting team, and Abilene Christian was the home team.

Abilene Christian set the tone immediately. Emma Troxell made a jump shot at the 9:46 mark, Payton Hull followed with a 3-point jump shot at 8:08, and Troxell added a layup at 7:28. Troxell then made a 3-point jump shot at 5:50 and two free throws at 5:02, Natalia Chavez made a layup at 4:30 and Hull made another 3-pointer at 3:38 as the Wildcats scored the first 17 points. Howard Payne got on the board when Taylor McAfee made a layup with 2:48 left in the first quarter. Hull answered with a layup, Aimee Flippen made a 3-point field goal, Molly Daugherty made two free throws and Samara Morrow closed the first-quarter scoring with a layup.

In the second quarter, Howard Payne’s Caitlyn Parsons made a layup at 9:43, but Abilene Christian answered with an Emma Troxell jump shot at 9:10 and a Meredith Mayes layup at 8:23. Madison Clay made a free throw for Howard Payne at 7:54, and Erin Woodson responded with layups at 7:01 and 4:31. Icess Hall made a free throw, Aimee Flippen made a layup, Samara Morrow made a 3-point field goal at 3:39, and Payton Hull made a 3-point jump shot at 3:01. Hope Hermesmeyer made two free throws for Howard Payne, but Natalia Chavez answered with 3-point field goals at 1:55 and 1:24. Hull made another 3-pointer at 00:55, Caitlyn Parsons made a layup at 00:38, and Molly Daugherty closed the half with a 3-point field goal at 00:29. The early surge was the most important part of the game, as Abilene Christian controlled the pace and never allowed Howard Payne to mount a comeback.

Hull, the top star for Abilene Christian, finished with 20 points, two rebounds and one block in 23 minutes. The 5-foot-10 guard from Peaster, Texas, and Peaster HS helped set the early tone with her outside shooting. Riley Grohman, a 5-foot-10 guard from Jim Ned HS, added 15 points, two rebounds and five assists in 19 minutes. Meredith Mayes, a 6-foot-3 center from Bixby HS, contributed five points, five rebounds and three assists in 12 minutes. Samara Morrow, a 5-foot-8 guard from Arlington HS, had eight points, four rebounds and seven assists in 21 minutes. Emma Troxell, a 6-foot forward from Bushland HS, scored 16 points and grabbed three rebounds in 18 minutes. Erin Woodson, a 6-foot guard from Saint Gertrude HS, posted 12 points, five rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes. Natalia Chavez, a 5-foot-11 guard from Volcano Vista HS, had eight points, three rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes. Molly Daugherty, a 5-foot-10 guard from Summerville HS, added 10 points, two rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes. Aimee Flippen, a 6-foot-4 center from Glen Rose HS, finished with seven points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 11 minutes. Raimi McCrary, a 6-foot forward from Allen HS, added seven points and three rebounds in 15 minutes.

Abilene Christian scored 108 points from 72 possessions, an offensive rating of 149.4. The Wildcats had 15 total offensive rebounds, 22 total assists, three total blocks and six total turnovers. The efficient offensive performance complemented the early defensive control, and the Wildcats maintained a comfortable lead throughout the second half. That balance helped Abilene Christian stay in control after the opening run. Howard Payne, which was a non-divisional opponent, kept competing. In the third quarter, Jerzie Bryant made two free throws, but Emma Troxell answered with a jump shot and later a 3-point jump shot. Meredith Mayes made a free throw, Samara Morrow made a layup and a free throw, and Riley Grohman made a layup and two 3-point field goals. Molly Daugherty made a layup, Madison Clay made two 3-point field goals for Howard Payne, Icess Hall made a layup, and Aimee Flippen closed the third-quarter scoring with a layup.

In the fourth quarter, Meredith Mayes made a layup at 9:41, Erin Woodson made layups at 9:11 and 7:16, and Payton Hull made layups at 8:37, 6:59 and 6:41. Woodson added a 3-point jump shot at 5:56 and a free throw at 5:36. Howard Payne got 3-point field goals from Finley Shockley at 5:13, Kaley Nicholson at 4:24 and Gabriella Barrera at 1:45 and 1:03. Raimi McCrary made a layup and a 3-point field goal and another layup for Abilene Christian, Riley Grohman made a 3-point jump shot at 2:20 and closed the scoring with a layup at 00:32, and Molly Daugherty made a 3-point field goal at 1:23. The home victory at Moody Coliseum (Abilene) improved the Wildcats’ season record to 1-0 and gave the women’s NCAA Division I program a strong start. Abilene Christian’s team nickname is Wildcats. The Wildcats finished with a decisive advantage in assists and turnovers while keeping Howard Payne from cutting into the lead.

Abilene Christian next visits Houston Christian on Nov. 6, then travels to Texas-Rio Grande Valley on Nov. 11 and Texas Christian on Nov. 15. Northwestern visits Abilene Christian on Nov. 18 before the Wildcats travel to Samford on Nov. 22. North Carolina A&T and South Dakota meet Abilene Christian in Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 27 and Nov. 28, respectively. McMurry visits on Dec. 1, Stetson on Dec. 14 and Southwest of New Mexico on Dec. 16.