Wildcats end losing streak

Saturday, February 5

San Angelo, TX

7:30 pm

Abilene Christian

Angelo State

Photo by: Willis Glassgow

2/5/2011 10:14:14 PM | Men's Basketball

SAN ANGELO – The ACU Wildcats' snapped a pair of long Lone Star Conference South Division losing streaks Saturday night as they marched into the Junell Center and knocked off rival Angelo State, 74-71, in men's basketball action.

The Wildcats' first LSC South Division win of the season snaps a six-game LSC South losing streak as they improve to 9-10 overall and 1-6 in the division. The win also snapped a six-game LSC South Division road losing streak for the Wildcats. Prior to Saturday's win, the last time the Wildcats had won an LSC South road game was Feb. 25, 2009, when they knocked off Eastern New Mexico. 71-65, in overtime.

The loss was a backbreaker for the Rams, who entered Saturday's contest in second place in the LSC South Division. The Rams are now 8-11 overall and 4-3 in the LSC South.

The Wildcats and Rams will be back on the floor against each other Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Moody Coliseum.

Saturday night's game was close throughout with neither team taking more than a seven-point lead. ACU led 35-32 at halftime, but the second half was a taught affair as neither team led by more than four points in the second 20 minutes.

ACU led 64-62 before Richard Thomas hit a short jumper to tie the game at 64-64 with 32 seconds to play. ACU had a chance to win it with the final shot, but Zach Williams was whistled for a charge with two seconds to play, and ASU didn't get a shot off at the horn, sending the game to overtime.

In the extra frame, Preston Davis got the Wildcats on the board first with a jumper at the 3:47 mark, and that was followed later by a dunk from Williams to give the Wildcats a 68-64 lead with 2:44 to play.

That dunk counted for two of Williams' team-high five points in overtime as the Wildcats outscored the Rams 10-7 in the five-minute period. Marcus Washington capped the game with a free throw with seven seconds left for the final margin.

Williams led the Wildcats with 19 points, while Ben Warton had 11 and Davis and Washington 10 each.