Wildcats back at home trying to improve to 2-0 in Southland

Men's Basketball | 1/9/2015 11:49:00 AM

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ABILENE – The ACU Wildcats will try to improve to 2-0 in Southland Conference play Saturday when they host the Nicholls Colonels in a men's conference game at Moody Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.

The game will be broadcast on 98.1 FM The Ticket and can be heard on the98x.com. Fans can watch the game on ACU Game Central. The Wildcats enter the contest at 7-7 overall and 1-0 in the Southland, while Nicholls is 3-8 and 0-1.

The Wildcats enter the game as one of the hottest teams in the league having won three of their last four games with the one loss a two-point loss (83-81) at Grand Canyon on Dec. 28, 2014. ACU opened Southland Conference play last Sunday with an 87-70 home victory over Central Arkansas.

The Wildcats are led in scoring by a trio of guards in junior Parker Wentz (13.2 points per game), senior Harrison Hawkins (12.1 ppg) and senior LaDarrien Williams (11.2). Williams has come off the bench the last four games and is averaging 15.5 ppg in those four contests as he's provided an offensive spark as the team's sixth man.

ACU leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage (37.6) and is third in 3-point field goals made (112) and fourth in attempts (298). Wentz is second in the league in 3-point field goals made (35), attempts (73) and percentage (47.9).

Nicholls dropped a 75-62 decision to Lamar on Jan. 3, losing a 10-point lead over the Cardinals to fall to 0-1 in league play. The Colonels' have played perhaps the toughest non-conference schedule in the nation with games at North Texas (lost 71-57), at UCLA (lost 107-74), at Wake Forest (lost 75-48), at Michigan (lost 91-62), at Wisconsin (lost 86-43), at Louisiana Tech (lost 79-54), and at home against Troy (lost 65-64).

Through 11 games this season, the Colonels are averaging 64.1 points per game while giving up 77.1 to their opponents. Nicholls is shooting 42.4 percent from the floor and 27.1 percent from three-point range while allowing 44.9 percent and 38.5 percent respectively.

Amin Torres leads the offensive attack for the Colonels, averaging 13.6 points per game despite having come off the bench in all but two matchups this season. Sam McBeath paces the squad with 6.5 rebounds per contest, while Liam Thomas averages a team-high 2.1 blocks per game. Richie Lewis leads the team in both assists (2.7 per game) and steals (2.2 per game).