Wildcats back on the floor Tuesday vs. McNeese State

Men's Basketball | 1/19/2016 2:01:00 AM

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ABILENE – Three days after they were overwhelmed by Stephen F. Austin's record shooting performance, the ACU Wildcats have a chance to wipe that game from their collective memory banks when they return to the floor to take on the Cowboys from McNeese State.
 
The Wildcats and Cowboys are set to tip off at 7 p.m. Tuesday inside Moody Coliseum. The game will not be broadcast on Abilene radio, but will be available to be seen and heard on www.acusports.com with Voice of the Wildcats Grant Boone calling the play by play.
 
ACU is 7-10 overall and 2-2 in Southland Conference play, while the Cowboys are 3-11 and 1-3, but coming off Saturday's surprising 72-68 win over Sam Houston State.
 
The Wildcats, meanwhile, were the victims of an SFA shooting performance in a 97-62 loss Saturday in Nacogdoches that put the Lumberjacks atop this year's NCAA Division I record book. The Jacks hit a staggering 72.2 percent of their shots from the field (39 of 54), including an unbelievable 12 of 15 3-point shots (80 percent).  SFA missed just six shots in the second half (22 of 28), including going 8 for 9 from 3-point range (88.9 percent).
 
SFA's shooting night was the best field goal percentage by an NCAA Division I team against an NCAA Division I opponent this season, and the 3-point field goal percentage was the best single-game performance by an NCAA Division I team against an NCAA Division I opponent this season.
 
Despite that, the Wildcats can move to one game above the .500 mark in Southland Conference play with a win Tuesday night. The game against McNeese State marks the beginning of a tough three-games-in-seven-days stretch that could be a big key in the Wildcats' season.
 
After Tuesday night's game against McNeese State, the Wildcats will be in San Antonio to take on Incarnate Word at 4 p.m. Saturday, followed by a Monday trip to Huntsville to take on Sam Houston State at 7 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast to a national television audience on the American Sports Network.
 
The Wildcats continue to be led in scoring by freshman guard Jaylen Franklin, who is averaging 14.9 points per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the field (96 of 190 field goals). He has led ACU in scoring eight times in 17 games this season and in those eight games he has averaged 19.6 points per game.
 
In the Wildcats' four Southland Conference games, Franklin is averaging 16.3 ppg, while senior guard Parker Wentz is averaging 10.5 ppg, Jaren Lewis is averaging 10.0 ppg and Duran Porter is at 9.8 ppg.