LAS VEGAS, NV. — The Lady Mavs have knocked off No. 7 Utah Tech and No. 3 Southern Utah in back-to-back days at Orleans Arena, and now face their toughest test yet, No. 2 seed Abilene Christian in Friday's semifinal round at 4:30 p.m. CT.
UTA closed out Thursday's quarterfinal in style, using a big fourth quarter to pull away from Southern Utah for a 70-65 win.
Kira Reynolds led the way with 23 points and nine made free throws,
Jadyn Atchison added 13 on efficient 6-of-11 shooting, and
Kendal Robinson reached double figures with 10 points.
Nya Threatt steadied the offense with a team-high five assists, and the Lady Mavs delivered when it mattered most.
Coach Shereka Wright summed it up in the locker room after: "There's something when you're hungry, you have to leave it all out there, and I'm always going to have the utmost confidence in my team."
ACU enters the tournament as one of the most complete teams in the conference. The Wildcats average over 70 points per game and build around a backcourt led by Hull, the 2025-26 WAC Player of the Year. Hull is a scoring and defensive force, averaging in the high teens in points per game with multiple steals nightly. Woodson, an All-WAC Second Team selection, brings versatile production as both a scorer and rebounder and has delivered numerous double-figure outings this season, including a 23-point effort against California Baptist.
The Lady Mavs and Wildcats have met three times this season, with ACU taking all three. The Wildcats edged UTA 59-56 in Abilene on Jan. 10, won 72-63 in Arlington on Feb. 12, and closed the regular season with the 72-57 win on March 7. Despite the results, UTA has competed in each matchup and enters Friday with something the Wildcats haven't seen from this group yet, a team with back-to-back tournament wins and growing momentum.
UTA's path forward runs through Reynolds, who is coming off one of the best two-game stretches of her freshman season. The All-WAC Freshman Team selection has posted 21 and 23 points in the two tournament games, combining for 44 points, 22 rebounds, and 14 made free throws across the two wins. Threatt's veteran presence in the backcourt has been equally important, the senior guard has provided composure in the closing minutes of both games, and her 27-point career-high performance earlier this year against Southern Utah is a reminder of how dangerous she can be when UTA needs a big night. Atchison and Robinson have also stepped up across the tournament, giving the Lady Mavs five different players capable of contributing on any given night.
A win on Friday sends UTA to Saturday's WAC Championship game.
NOTEWORTHY
- UTA advanced to the semifinals with a 70-65 quarterfinal win over No. 3 Southern Utah on Thursday.
- Kira Reynolds has scored 44 points across two tournament games, combining 21 points and 16 rebounds in the opener with 23 points and nine made free throws in the quarterfinal.
- Abilene Christian received a bye as the No. 2 seed and enters the semifinals at 21-8 overall and 12-6 in WAC play.
- WAC Player of the Year Payton Hull and All-WAC Second Team selection Erin Woodson lead the Wildcats into Friday's matchup.
- ACU won all three regular season meetings between the two teams, including a 72-57 decision in the season finale on March 7.
- Friday's winner advances to the WAC Tournament Championship on Saturday.
FOLLOW ALONG Friday's game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT at Orleans Arena and will stream on ESPN+, with live stats available. For updates, behind-the-scenes photos, videos and more, follow the women's basketball program on X and Instagram @UTAMavsWBB.
– #BuckEm
