Wildcats headed to Rockies looking for 3-0 start

ABILENE CHRISTIAN at DENVER
When: Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018
Time: 7 p.m. (MT / 8 p.m. CT)
Where: Magness Arena (Denver, Colo.)
Records: Abilene Christian 2-0, 0-0 Southland Conference; Denver 1-1, 0-0 Summit League
Series: First meeting
Radio: 98.1 FM (98theticket.com)
Watch: Altitude TV
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Thursday Night's Game
The Wildcats hit the road for the first time in 2018-19 Thursday night when they take on the University of Denver in a non-conference game at the Magness Arena. … The Wildcats are 2-0 on the season and are looking for their first 3-0 start since moving up to NCAA Division I affiliation prior to the 2013-14 season. … ACU hasn't started 3-0 to a season since its final season at the NCAA Division II level (2012-13). … A win Thursday night would not only give ACU a 3-0 start to the season, it would also give the Wildcats consecutive wins over non-conference Division I opponents for only the second time in ACU's five-plus seasons at the Division I level. … The only other time ACU has recorded consecutive wins over non-conference Division I teams came last season when ACU beat Bowling Green (88-83 on Nov. 26 in Buies Creek, N.C.), followed by wins over Air Force (62-58 on Dec. 6 in Colorado Springs, Colo.), and Texas State (72-68 on Dec. 9 in Abilene). … The Wildcats began their Division I existence with 18 straight true road losses in non-conference Division I games. Since then, however, the Wildcats are 4-7 in those games over the last two seasons with wins at New Hampshire, Charleston Southern, Campbell and Air Force to go along with narrow losses at Oklahoma, New Mexico, Sacramento State and Lipscomb.
 
Scouting the Wildcats
• The Wildcats have opened the season with a pair of blowouts: a 107-54 win over non-Division I Arlington Baptist on Nov. 6, and then a 94-73 win over Arkansas State (Sun Belt Conference) last Friday night.
• In that win over Arkansas State, the Wildcats jumped out to an 8-0 lead and never trailed en route to the win over the Red Wolves.
• Senior forward Jaren Lewis scored 18 points and pulled down 15 rebounds for his 15^th career double-double. His effort in the game earned him Southland Conference Player of the Week honors.
• The 10 field goals in the win over Arkansas State by senior point guard Jaylen Franklin are tied for the second-most he's ever made in a game, one behind the 11 he made (on 15 shots) en route to scoring a career-high 29 points in a win over McNeese on Jan. 19, 2016. He's also made 10 in a Feb. 27, 2016, win over New Orleans (28 points) and in a loss at Drake on Dec. 22, 2015, when he scored 24 points.
• The win for the Wildcats was their third home win over a non-conference NCAA Division I opponent since making the jump from Division II affiliation to Division I status in 2013, joining wins over Sacramento State (72-61 on Dec. 4, 2014) and a 72-68 win over Texas State on Dec. 9, 2017.
• The 94 points scored Friday night is the third-most the Wildcats have scored in a game against a Division I opponent since 2013 behind the 100 scored in a 108-100 overtime loss at Colorado State on Nov. 24, 2015, and the 95 points scored in a 95-81 win over Northwestern State on Jan. 13, 2015.
• The 94 points are the most scored by the Wildcats at home against an NCAA Division I opponent.

Scouting the Red Wolves
• The Pioneers are averaging 59.5 points per game in 2018-19.
• Denver is holding opponents to just 57.0 points per contest this season, second in the Summit League and 34th in the NCAA.
• The Pioneers are limiting their foes to 34.7 percent shooting on the year, which ranks second in the Summit League and 40th in Division I.
• The Crimson and Gold are knocking down 9.0 3s per game, fourth in the Summit League.
• The Pioneers are handing out 10.5 assists per game in 2018-19.
• DU is holding its foes to just 25.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc, good for third in the Summit League.
• Senior Ronnie Harrell Jr. leads the team in scoring at 16.0 points per game, 10th highest in the Summit League.
• Harrell Jr. is also the team's leading rebounder, pulling down 12.5 boards a night, highest in the Summit League and 17th in the NCAA.
• Harrell Jr. has made his presence felt on the defensive end, sending back 2.0 shots per game, second in the Summit League.
• Jase Townsend has been a factor off the bench, scoring 11.0 points a night.
• Joe Rosga ranks sixth in the Summit League in 3s made per game with a 2.5 average.