WAC recap
Jamie Bonnarens is the WAC Player of the Week after averaging 18 points and 10.5 rebounds in a pair of wins to open WAC play. Courtesy ACU Athletics.

Saturday Recap and Women’s Basketball Weekly Awards

The COVID bug is here to stay. And because of that bug, there were only two games to recap over the weekend. We recap them here along with naming our first Player and Newcomer of the Week to start 2022. Hopefully this week, we get a our money’s worth of games as there are some big matchups. Perhaps the biggest matchup takes place in Nacogdoches between SFA and ACU. Another intriguing matchup is UTRGV at Grand Canyon. Lopes guard Amara Graham faces her former team for the first time.

But, here is the rapid recap from a pair of Saturday contests.

Abilene Christian 71,  Dixie State 53

This game was a lot closer than the final score indicates. In fact, it was an 8-point Wildcat lead after three quarters. However, ACU used a 20-10 fourth quarter to pull away from the Trailblazers. Jamie Bonnarens continued her stellar start to the WAC campaign with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Bonnarens shot 7-14 from the field and 3-7 from deep. The two teams combined to hit 24 3-pointers. ACU made 13 and the Trailblazers another 11. Breauna Gillen had 16 points and 6 assists to lead Dixie State.

It was an opening weekend sweep for the Wildcats and head coach Julie Goodenough.

Tarleton State 61, Utah Valley 48 

In Wisdom Gymnasium, the Texans used a 26-11 fourth quarter to pull away from Utah Valley and earn a weekend split. Iyana Dorsey had 20 points and was a perfect 12-12 on free throws in the win for Tarleton State. Malaya Kendrick added 13 points on 5-10 from the field for the victors. The Wolverines got a career day from Madison Grange with 19 points on 6-10 shooting in defeat.

Player of the Week

Jamie Bonnarens – Grad, G, Abilene Christian

The Wildcats made a big impression with two wins against Utah Valley and Dixie State led by Bonnarens, a grad transfer from Colorado State, who averaged 18.5 ppg and 10.5 rpg. She was 13-28 from the field while adding 21 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.

Newcomer of the Week

Bella Earle – Fr, G, Abilene Christian

Earle was clutch on Sunday with a couple of key 3-pointers against Dixie State. She was 5-12 from the floor and 2-5 beyond the arc with 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

The Week Ahead…

Thursday, January 6, 2022:

Chicago State @ Seattle

Abilene Christian @ Stephen F. Austin

Tarleton State @ Sam Houston State

UTRGV @ Grand Canyon

Lamar @ New Mexico State

Saturday, January 8, 2022: 

Tarleton State @ Stephen F. Austin

Abilene Christian @ Sam Houston State

Chicago State @ CBU

Lamar @ GCU

UTRGV @ New Mexico State

***All games on ESPN+

Makeup Games Announced:

We hope you are staying healthy and well in these times. There are a few makeup dates to announce of games postponed due to COVID-19 concerns…

CBU @ Seattle U>>>Jan 17th (Monday) 2pm PST

Tarleton State @ Sam Houston State>>>Jan 17th (Monday) 2pm CST

New Mexico State @ Chicago State>>>Jan 25th (Tuesday) 12pm CST

Kellogg reaches 400 wins:

Stephen F. Austin women’s basketball coach Mark Kellogg recently achieved a career milestone in recording win No. 400 of his illustrious career. He accomplished the feat last Thursday against UTRGV in Edinburg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the author

Derryl Trujillo

Derryl Trujillo is a Southern California based sportswriter who won the 2019 Inland Empire Baseball Coaches Association's Supporter of the Year award. He joined the WAC Hoops Digest staff in 2020 and also covers local sports for Inland Sports and the Valley News. Before transitioning to media Derryl was a high school, collegiate and club volleyball official along with serving as a high school basketball scorekeeper for ten years.

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