ABILENE – ACU better get used to seeing the colors blue and orange. The Wildcats will match up with the Huskies of Houston Baptist on Wednesday evening in Moody Coliseum, and then will turn right around and head to Houston next Wednesday for the rematch. Sandwiched in between is a huge matchup with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on the road on Saturday.
FOLLOW THE GAME
ACU vs. Houston Baptist: Wednesday, Feb. 12 (5:30 p.m.)
SERIES HISTORY
- This will be the ninth all-time meeting between the schools, and ACU looks to stay undefeated against HBU. The Wildcats are 8-0 all-time against the Huskies.
- ACU has averaged 75 points per game against Houston Baptist, while allowing under 60 per game to the HBU offense.
- ACU leads the series 4-0 in Abilene.
SOUTHLAND SIGNIFICANCE
- ACU sits in fourth place in the standings, and is a half-game out of third-place Sam Houston State. It's a jumble at the top of the standings, with SFA and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi currently in the top two spots at 11-2. Those two play one another Wednesday night.
- The Wildcats will play the top three teams all once more, including traveling to Corpus Saturday. There are still nine games remaining in the league schedule.
- The top four in the final standings get a first-round bye in the upcoming Hercules Tires Southland Conference Tournament, and the top two get a double-bye, with only two games standing between you and the NCAA Tournament.
ACU STORYLINES
- GETCHA BROOMS OUT: ACU picked up a big sweep last week to re-build a winning streak. The Wildcats topped Northwestern State, 84-69, in Abilene last Wednesday on a snowy day. The game was moved up from 5:30 to 3 p.m., but it didn't affect ACU. The 'Cats then went to Beaumont to dismantle Lamar, 75-49, to earn their first-ever sweep over the Cardinals.
- PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior Dominique Golightly was named the Southland Conference Player of the Week for the third time this season after averaging 23.5 points per game in the two wins. Dom averaged 4.5 boards and added 3 assists and shot 56% from the floor (16-29), and was feeling it from distance, hitting 10 of her 15 three-pointers. The Chickasha, Okla. native scored a career-high 29 points in just 28 minutes in the dominant win over Northwestern State.
- TRENDING THE RIGHT DIRECTION: After a tough defensive week in the losses to SFA and UIW, the Wildcats found themselves on that end of the floor last week. ACU allowed just 38% shooting from the floor to Northwestern State, and was particularly impressed against Lamar, allowing just 28% from the floor. The 49 points allowed to Lamar were the least in a Southland Conference game in two seasons.
- MID-MAJOR POLL: ACU checks in at No. 21 in the latest Mid Major Poll, moving down six spots from a week ago. The Wildcats were ranked No. 11 four weeks ago, the highest the team had ever been. The 'Cats have earned key road victories this season. The team topped then-No. 16 Wright State on Nov. 15, won at Portland on Nov. 29, who was receiving votes, and just beat a 13-win Sam Houston State team. ACU has been ranked 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 21 this season.
SCOUTING HOUSTON BAPTIST (5-16, 1-11 SLC)
- The Huskies are looking to end a three-game losing streak that features loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, New Orleans, and Northwestern State.
- HBU is averaging just 60.0 points per game, and has been susceptible to giving up big performances defensively.
- Timia Jefferson and Megan Valdez-Crader lead the way offensively (11.3 and 11.2 PPG, respectively), and both have hit a team-high 15 three-pointers.
