Wildcats come back, hold on late to earn 14th win

SAN ANTONIO — Joe Pleasant scored 16 points, five total players scored in double figures, and the Wildcat men's basketball team came back from three separate seven-point deficits to beat the University of the Incarnate Word on Saturday at the McDermott Center. ACU trailed with 12 minutes left in the game, but took the lead, never gave it back, and held on late to win 75-67. The Wildcats (14-3, 6-1 SLC) found a way to get it done with clutch rebounding and big free throws down the stretch to put away a feisty UIW (6-8, 3-4 SLC) team. ACU has 14 wins in 17 tries for the second time in three seasons.

Turning Point: The under-16 media timeout of the second half.

• ACU trailed by seven points for the third time in the game, 42-35, with under 16 minutes to go in the game. But the team regrouped, Joe Pleasant hit two free throws out of the timeout, and the Wildcats made a run. Over the next five minutes, ACU went on a 17-3 run to lead 52-45. Coryon Mason, who was back for the first time since Jan. 16, scored as well as Mahki Morris and Airion Simmons to spark the run. UIW would make it close, but ACU never game the lead back.

Key Plays

• It might be lost in all the second-half heroics, but ACU did lead this game 7-0 out of the gate. Damien Daniels hit the game's first shot from distance, and Kolton Kohl and Pleasant scored two possessions later to go up early. UIW used a 12-2 run from that point to lead in the first half.
• Trailing 17-11, Simmons went inside and scored to keep ACU within two possessions early on. The game never got away from the Wildcats even when the Cardinals went on by seven on three separate occassions.
• Down 20-13, ACU used an 8-0 run to grab the lead, and Pleasant got a great pass from Morris to put the visitors on top.
• Simmons hit a big three to get ACU within one, 45-44, with 12:38 left in the game. That came in the middle of the big 17-3 run to grab the lead for the final time.
• UIW, who hit 12 three-pointers in the game, made one to get within 54-51 at the nine-minute mark, but Pleasant answered right back to put ACU back up six, 57-51.
• Leading by five, Mason got a steal in the paint on a loose ball, and went all the way to the other end and scored on the right side to put ACU up three possessions, 68-61, with just two minutes remaining.
• Daniels all but put the game away with his second three of the game late in the shot clock to put ACU up 10, 71-61.
• UIW got it to within six, 73-67, and got a steal on the next play. But after a three was no good, Clay Gayman got the biggest board of the game and was fouled. He hit two huge free throws to go back up eight when it could have been a three-point game.

Stat Pack

• ACU shot 48% from the floor, and were incredibly efficient from inside, shooting 66% (19-29) from inside the arc. Additionally, the 'Cats led 36-16 in points in the paint.
• Pleasant tallied 17 points and seven rebounds; the 17 points is his second-highest total of the season. The junior was efficient, shooting 5-6 from the floor including a three, and went 6-8 at the foul line.
• Kohl kept his string of double-digit efforts going with his fifth such game in a row, tallying 16 points on an equal 5-6 from the field and 6-8 at the line. The San Angelo native added five boards.
• Daniels dropped in 12 points, his third double-digit performance of the year. The Kansas City product had two huge three-pointers Saturday.
• Morris added 10 of his own, his second game this week with double-digits. The Philly native matched Daniels with a pair of triples.
• Simmons tallied 10 off the bench, his third double-digit game this year. He finished just one rebound short of a double-double as well with nine boards.
• Miller tied his career-best with seven assists in the game.
• ACU only forced nine turnovers, a season-low, but still scored 14 big points off those turnovers.
• There were 10 ties and 16 lead changes in the game.
• ACU picked up its first win when trailing at halftime. The Wildcats trailed 31-29 at the intermission.
• ACU out-rebounded UIW by a wide margin, 41-24. Four players had at least five boards.
• The Wildcats have now won seven straight against the Cardinals. The last loss was in March 2017.

Up Next
ACU's game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Monday has been cancelled due to COVID-19 issues with the Islander program. It has not been determined whether there will be a make-up date. The team already has this coming Wednesday off as well, so it will be a full week before the team takes the court, on Saturday, Feb. 6 in Beaumont, Texas against the Lamar Cardinals. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. as part of a men's-women's doubleheader. The game can be heard on 102.7 The Bear.