ABILENE – The nation's top scoring defensive team marched into Moody Coliseum on Tuesday and shut down the ACU Wildcats as Tarleton State whipped ACU, 64-45, in the Lone Star Conference South Division men's basketball opener for both teams.
The win pushes the Texans to 10-3 and 1-0, while the Wildcats fall to 8-5 and 0-1. ACU will be back in action Saturday night against two-time defending LSC champion and nationally ranked Midwestern State at 7 p.m. in Wichita Falls.
The Texans were allowing just 51.8 points per game entering the contest and didn't even allow the Wildcats to hit that mark.
The Wildcats' 45-point output is their lowest point total in a game since a 59-41 loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville on Jan. 19, 2002, in Abilene. The last time ACU failed to score at least 50 points in a game was an 88-49 loss to Northeastern State in Tahlequah, Okla., in December 2002.
ACU hit just two field goals in the final 11 minutes of the first half as the Texans pulled away to take a 34-17 lead. ACU was never able to get the lead below double figures in the second half as the Texans cruised to the victory.
Preston Davis led ACU with 16 points, while
Giordan Cole had 11 for the Wildcats. ACU, though, shot just 32.6 percent from the floor (15 of 46) and made just 12 of 22 shots from the free throw line (54.5 percent).
Tarleton guard Corin Henry led all scorers with 21 points, while Wes Dipprey had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
