MBB caps three-game road swing at Utah Valley

ABILENE – The Wildcats are on the road in Orem this week as they look to earn their first road win of the WAC schedule at Utah Valley. Abilene Christian will have a tall task as the Wolverines have dropped just one conference game on the season and have marquee wins on the season over BYU and Oregon. ACU has struggle shooting the ball in their last three games, especially from distance, shooting 26.3 percent or worse from three-point range. The defense will need to be solid against a tough backcourt for UVU and will have to find ways to make up for the size disadvantage inside. The Wildcats have won both meetings with the Wolverines since joining the WAC, including a win in Orem last year, and will look to repeat that success Wednesday night. 

SERIES HISTORY VS. UTAH VALLEY

• ALL-TIME | 3rd meeting, ACU leads 2-0
• LAST MEETING | ACU 82 - UVU 74 (Mar. 9, 2022 - Las Vegas)
• STREAK | ACU, w2
• IN ABILENE | N/A
• IN OREM | ACU leads 1-0
• NEUTRAL | ACU leads 1-0
• POSTSEASON | ACU leads 1-0

ACU STORYLINES

• WILD, WILD WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE | The WAC continues to prove it is anyone's league as surprises and upsets continue to happen on a nightly basis. Utah Valley and SFA each dropped their first games last week and sit at 5-1 with Seattle U as the only remaining unbeaten with a 5-0 record. The biggest surprise of the season is like NM State who sits at 0-6 who lost at home to UT Arlington to give the Mavs their first conference win of the season. The Wildcats could pick up a huge win on the road in Orem on Wednesday that would give them a lot of momentum heading into a three-game home stand. 
• SHOOTING WOES | The Wildcats had been shooting the ball well for the most part this season but the recent three-game losing skid has featured shooting struggled for the purple and white. They have made just five threes in each of the last three games and shooting no better than 26 percent from range. The team is shooting over 46 percent from the field on the season but the team's best shooting night over the last four games was 42.9 percent in the win over Tarleton.
• BALANCE IS KEY | Once again, Abilene Christian has found success when they are sharing the ball and getting contributions from each player on the court. Eight players are averaging six or more points per game and the team has had 11 different players go for double figures at some point this season. The balance doesn't just apply to scoring though as there are six players averaging three or more rebounds per contest as well. When the Wildcats are at their best they are sharing the ball, the team is averaging 16.6 assists per game which ranks as the 24th best mark in the country.
• ALLEN BREAKING OUT | Immanuel Allen has been a star for the Wildcats this season. He is coming off a career-night with 26 points and 13 made free throws, tying an ACU DI record. He has scored in double figures 13 times on the year and has done so in 11 of the last 12 games. He has set career marks for scoring, blocks, and three's made in a game while matching career marks in rebounds and steals. Allen has been a force on both sides of the ball this season and continues to get better with every game.
• CAMERON CAN DO IT ALL | Tobias Cameron kicked off the season matching a career-high with 18 points in a win over Jackson State and closed non-conference play with another 18-point performance in a win over Howard Payne. Cameron has done a little bit of everything for the Wildcats this season and notched the first double-double of his career in a win over North American. He is shooting 56 percent from the field, leads the team in rebounding, and is second on the team in assists.
• WILDCATS OPEN MOODY WITH A WIN | The Wildcats opened the 22-23 season with a win over Jackson State in the newly renovated Moody Coliseum. In front of a crowd of nearly 2,500 people ACU jumped out to a 20-point halftime lead behind a hot shooting start and a stifling defense. The team had to fend off a furious comeback attempt by the Tigers as the Wildcats struggled to find their offense in the second half, but came away with a 65-56 victory to start the season 1-0.
• DANIELS, CAMERON EARN 100 CAREER WINS | With the team's 93-46 win over North American on November 30, Wildcats' Tobias Cameron and Damien Daniels earned their 100th-career wins in an ACU uniform. The two have been a key part of the Wildcats success over the past four seasons, tallying 20-plus wins in each one.

SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY (14-5, 5-1 WAC)

• The Wolverines have put together several marquee wins, an impressive home record, and have four players averaging double figures on the season.
• The backcourt of Harmon, Woodbury, and Darthard is an elite group with all three averaging in double figures, led by Harmon at 14.4 points per game. 
• Bandoago has been a breakout player in the WAC this season and is currently averaging a double-double with 11.4 points and 10.4 points per game.
• UVU is the top team in the country in blocked shots with 6.6 per game and is top of the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio and defensive rebounding. 

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