SAN ANTONIO – Staring at a chance to take a one-game lead in the chase for the final spot in the Lone Star Conference Post-Season Tournament, the ACU Wildcats couldn't complete a big second-half comeback Wednesday night in a 79-73 loss to Incarnate Word at the McDermott Center.
ACU trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half after the Cardinals got out to a 15-2 start and then by as many as 15 in the second half before ACU rallied to tie the game at 72-72 with 2:10 to play. But the Wildcats couldn't cap the rally, allowing the Cardinals the score seven of the final eight points of the game.
Eastern New Mexico, ACU, Angelo State and even Texas A&M-Commerce – the bottom four teams in the league – are now fighting for the final two spots in the LSC Post-Season Tournament, which begins the last week of February in Allen.
ENMU lost at Tarleton State on Wednesday and is now seventh in the league at 6-9. ACU and Angelo State are tied at 3-12 in league play after ACU lost Wednesday at Incarnate Word and Angelo State lost at Kingsville, which clinched a spot in the tournament and is sixth in the league at 7-10.
Commerce is 2-13 in the LSC after a 70-60 loss Wednesday night at home against West Texas A&M, but will play both ACU and Angelo State in the final 10 days of the regular season with a chance to sneak into the tournament.
ACU had a legitimate shot at moving past Angelo State into eighth place after
Antonio Bell nailed free throws to tie the game with 2:10 left, bringing the Wildcats all the way back from the 17-point hole.
But the Wildcats couldn't complete the comeback, even after UIW missed two jumpers and Ian Markolf missed two free throws with 1:30 to play.
Zach Williams missed a jumper in the lane and missed a layup after
Eric Kibi grabbed the offensive rebound of the first miss.
Shaun Umeh then broke the tie when he canned a short jumper with 43 seconds left to give his team a 74-72 lead.
Kendall Durant then fouled out of the game for ACU when he was whistled for a charge on a drive to the basket with 35 seconds left, turning the ball over to UIW.
ACU intentionally fouled Chris Johnson twice within a nine-second span and he made three of four free throws to give the Cardinals a 77-73 lead. ACU's last real chance went by the wayside with 11 seconds left when a 3-pointer from
Armani Williams hit the front of the rim and bounced off. Jordan Roddy then hit a pair of free throws with three seconds left to seal the win for Incarnate Word.
Marc LIttle led the Wildcats with 14 points off the bench, while
Antonio Bell had 12 points (10 of them from the free throw line), while
Zach Williams and Kibi each had 11 points off the bench and Durant chipped in with 10 points.
