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ABILENE – The ACU Wildcats will close out their inaugural season at the NCAA Division I level Saturday afternoon when they host Incarnate Word at Moody Coliseum.
The Wildcats and Cardinals are scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m., or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game, which starts at 1 p.m.
ACU enters the season finale at 11-19 overall and 2-11 in the Southland Conference, while the Cardinals are 20-6 and 8-5. Incarnate Word rallied from as much as a 14-point first-half deficit on Jan. 13 to knock off ACU, 80-68, in San Antonio. Since then, however, the Cardinals have only played two games: losing at McNeese State on Jan. 27 and winning at Nicholls last Saturday.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, lost both games of their final road swing of the season, falling by 19 (79-60) at Nicholls on Feb. 27 and then losing a 95-91 overtime heartbreaker last Saturday at McNeese State. ACU led by four points (79-75) with 1:17 to play after two
Parker Wentz free throws, but couldn't convert key free throws down the stretch, allowing the Cowboys to tie the game at 80-80 to send the game to overtime.
Once there the Cowboys – playing to earn a berth in the Southland Conference Tournament – wouldn't be stopped as they scored the first four points of the overtime period on their way to the win.
The loss left ACU winless in true road games this season (0-14) and riding a four-game conference losing streak going into Saturday's season finale.
The Wildcats are led by the sophomore Wentz, who is averaging 13.8 points per game after scoring 20 points against Nicholls and 24 against McNeese to run his streak to five straight games in which he has scored at least 20 points. Wentz leads the Southland in 3-point field goals per game (2.6) and total 3-point field goals made (77).
He is fourth in 3-point field percentage (.450), but first among those who have attempted more than 64 3-pointers. If Wentz's stats counted in the NCAA statistics this season, he would rank eighth in NCAA Division I basketball in 3-point field goal percentage.
The Cardinals are one of the highest scoring teams in the country at 83.0 points per game and they are led by star junior guard Denzel Livingston, who has twice this season been voted Southland Conference Player of the Week.
Livingston enters Saturday's season finale averaging 20.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game, the only player in the country averaging 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
Three other players on the team are scoring in double figures with sophomore guard Kyle Hittle tossing in16.7 points and grabbing 5.6 rebounds per game. Anthony Horton and Sam Burmeister both chip in 11.2 points per game.
