NEW ORLEANS—The Wildcats took their first steps towards competing for another conference championship on Wednesday night as they opened their conference schedule at UNO. The last time these two teams saw each other, a trip to the NCAA tournament was on the line and it was the Wildcats who came out on top. The game was a defensive battle early and it was the Wildcats who were able to earn the win, 77-71, to open conference play 1-0.
The first half was a defensive battle as each team was able to force 13 turnovers and tally seven steals. UNO got out to the quick 9-2 start, but the Wildcats put together a 15-2 run of their own to lead to a six-point advantage. After building their lead to as many as nine points, ACU struggled with turnovers going into the half and the Privateers closed the half on a 7-0 run to cut the Wildcat lead to just two at the half.
The Wildcats were able to shoot efficiently from downtown after working the ball inside early allowing them to stretch their two-point lead to eight, just four minutes into the second half. ACU was able to push their lead to as many as 14 points before the Privateers used a 10-0 run to cut their lead to just four points. The teams traded buckets down the stretch, but key free throws and solid defense allowed the Wildcats to hold on for the win.
Key Plays
- The Privateers opened the game on a 9-2 run before ACU answered with a 15-2 run to go up six early in the first half.
- Gayman hit a big three to tie the game at 11 in the WIldcats' 15-2 run.
- Coryon Mason went 3-3 in the first half for seven points.
- Each team had foul trouble early, but the biggest impact came when Payten Ricks picked up his second foul and played just 10 first half minutes.
- The Wildcats hit two early threes in the second half to help push their lead to eight.
- Clay Gayman had two putback layups that led to the Wildcats 14-point advantage in the second half.
- The Wildcats went 5-6 at the free throw line down the stretch to seal the win.
Turning Point
The Wildcats used a 19-10 run over eight minutes in the second half to push an eight-point lead to 14. The Privateers would cut the lead late but free throws down the stretch kept UNO at bay.
Stat Pack
- Joe Pleasant tied for the game-high with 19 points to go along with five rebounds and two assists.
- Ricks scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half.
- The Wildcats outrebounded the Privateers 32-26.
- Coming into the night, UNO was leading the conference in scoring at over 80 points per game, while they score 71, ACU held them to just 29 first half points.
- UNO went 24-26 at the line while ACU was just 22-30.
- Coryon Mason did a little bit of everything scoring eight points with five assists and five rebounds.
- Damien Daniels had three steals to lead the team, ACU totaled 11 steals on the night.
- This was the Wildcats first win on the road against New Orleans in their series history.
Up Next
The Wildcats will continue conference play on Saturday as they return home to host Nicholls. The teams will tip-off at 7 p.m. on Saturday night.
