Saturday, January 30
Abilene, TX
4 p.m.
Abilene Christian
vs
Lamar
Photo by: Jeremy Enlow
1/30/2016 9:58:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Live Audio / Video l Live Stats
ABILENE – The ACU Wildcats return Saturday to the friendlier confines of Moody Coliseum when they host the Lamar Cardinals in a Southland Conference men's basketball action.
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Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and can be heard on acusports.com with The Voice of the Wildcats Grant Boone calling the action.
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ACU enters Saturday's contest at 8-12 overall and 3-4 in the Southland after having lost each of its last two games: at Incarnate Word last Saturday and at Sam Houston State last Monday. The Wildcats are 1-9 in true road games this season (2-10 overall away from home), but are 6-2 at Moody Coliseum, including 2-0 in conference games with wins over Northwestern State and McNeese State.
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The Cardinals enter the game at ACU 10th in the league standings after having dropped three straight and six of their last seven. Lamar is 10-10 overall and 2-6 in the Southland.
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Saturday's contest will be the 26th meeting in series history, but 22 of those games were played prior to the 1972-73 season. Lamar has had the upper hand since the Wildcats announced they were re-joining the league prior to the 2013-14 season. The Cardinals have won the past three games, and six of the last seven dating back to the 1971-72 season. The Cards are three-games above .500 (14-11) all-time in the series.
The ACU coaching staff will wear sneakers with gold laces in addition to their customary suits as part of the NABC's Suits & Sneakers Princess Lacey's Laces initiatives. Part of Coaches vs. Cancer week (Jan. 25-31), the two aforementioned events help raise awareness about the fight against cancer and promote the American Cancer Society and the late Lacey Holsworth, who gained notoriety last year as a result of her battle against cancer and special relationship with the Michigan State men's basketball team.
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Two of the league's top freshmen – ACU guard Jaylen Franklin and Lamar guard Nick Garth – will be featured in Saturday's contest. Franklin is the top freshman scorer in the Southland Conference (14.8 points per game), followed closely by Garth at 14.3 ppg.
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Franklin is also first among league freshmen in field goal percentage (13th overall) at 50 percent (110 of 220 from the floor). Franklin scored a career-high 29 points in ACU's last home game – a 75-67 win over McNeese State on Jan. 19 – but has scored just 14 total points in the last two games on 3 of 15 shooting from the field. Franklin fouled out of the Wildcats' loss to Sam Houston State after scoring just two points in 14 minutes on the floor.
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Senior guard Parker Wentz is second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (46.2 percent), third in the conference in 3-point field goals made (48) and fourth in attempts (104), and he's sixth in the league 3-point field goals made per game (2.4).
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Lamar leads the Southland in rebounding (42.1 per game) and first in the league in rebounding margin (+4.4), and the Cardinals are fifth in NCAA basketball in offensive rebounds per game (15.45).
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ABILENE – The ACU Wildcats return Saturday to the friendlier confines of Moody Coliseum when they host the Lamar Cardinals in a Southland Conference men's basketball action.
Â
Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and can be heard on acusports.com with The Voice of the Wildcats Grant Boone calling the action.
Â
ACU enters Saturday's contest at 8-12 overall and 3-4 in the Southland after having lost each of its last two games: at Incarnate Word last Saturday and at Sam Houston State last Monday. The Wildcats are 1-9 in true road games this season (2-10 overall away from home), but are 6-2 at Moody Coliseum, including 2-0 in conference games with wins over Northwestern State and McNeese State.
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The Cardinals enter the game at ACU 10th in the league standings after having dropped three straight and six of their last seven. Lamar is 10-10 overall and 2-6 in the Southland.
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Saturday's contest will be the 26th meeting in series history, but 22 of those games were played prior to the 1972-73 season. Lamar has had the upper hand since the Wildcats announced they were re-joining the league prior to the 2013-14 season. The Cardinals have won the past three games, and six of the last seven dating back to the 1971-72 season. The Cards are three-games above .500 (14-11) all-time in the series.
The ACU coaching staff will wear sneakers with gold laces in addition to their customary suits as part of the NABC's Suits & Sneakers Princess Lacey's Laces initiatives. Part of Coaches vs. Cancer week (Jan. 25-31), the two aforementioned events help raise awareness about the fight against cancer and promote the American Cancer Society and the late Lacey Holsworth, who gained notoriety last year as a result of her battle against cancer and special relationship with the Michigan State men's basketball team.
Â
Two of the league's top freshmen – ACU guard Jaylen Franklin and Lamar guard Nick Garth – will be featured in Saturday's contest. Franklin is the top freshman scorer in the Southland Conference (14.8 points per game), followed closely by Garth at 14.3 ppg.
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Franklin is also first among league freshmen in field goal percentage (13th overall) at 50 percent (110 of 220 from the floor). Franklin scored a career-high 29 points in ACU's last home game – a 75-67 win over McNeese State on Jan. 19 – but has scored just 14 total points in the last two games on 3 of 15 shooting from the field. Franklin fouled out of the Wildcats' loss to Sam Houston State after scoring just two points in 14 minutes on the floor.
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Senior guard Parker Wentz is second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (46.2 percent), third in the conference in 3-point field goals made (48) and fourth in attempts (104), and he's sixth in the league 3-point field goals made per game (2.4).
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Lamar leads the Southland in rebounding (42.1 per game) and first in the league in rebounding margin (+4.4), and the Cardinals are fifth in NCAA basketball in offensive rebounds per game (15.45).
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Players Mentioned
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