NACOGDOCHES -- The ACU Wildcats opened their 2007-08 men's basketball season Monday night with a 71-61 exhibition-game loss to Stephen F. Austin at William R. Johnson Coliseum.
The Lumberjacks only led by seven points at the half (39-32), but they dominated the second half, pushing the lead out to as many as 21 points late in the second half before the Wildcats made a push at the end of the game to cut the final deficit to 10 points. SFA center Matt Kingsley dominated the post as he finished with a game-high 26 points and nine rebounds.
ACU head coach Jason Copeland said before the season started that he thought the Wildcats' incoming guard tandem of Brandon Callahan and Corwin Ragland would provide the Wildcats with a big spark this season. Callahan certainly did that Monday night as he finished with a team-high 18 points on 8 of 12 shooting from the field. Junior transfer forward Dan Sencanski also played a solid game down low for the Wildcats as he finished with 13 points and five rebounds.
The Wildcats, though, couldn't get much of an inside game going as senior transfer center Stephen Musa got into early foul trouble and wasn't a factor in the contest.
ACU will open the regular season next weekend (Nov. 16-17) when they host Hillsdale Freewill Baptist, Lubbock Christian and NCAA Division I member Houston Baptist in the ACU Classic. LCU will play Houston Baptist at 5 p.m. on Nov. 16 before ACU hosts Hillsdale Freewill Baptist at 7 p.m. LCU will then play HFB at 3 p.m.on Saturday, Nov. 17, followed at 5 p.m. by ACU hosting Houston Baptist.
