ABILENE, Texas — ACU will set its sights on one of the biggest tests this season as they host the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Saturday.
The Wildcats earned their first win of the season on Monday in a 107-74 win against Howard Payne, opening their 2024-25 campaign on a strong note.
As for Middle Tennessee, they also started their season strong, taking down Oglethorpe in Murfreesboro, 97-51. The last time the two teams played was in March of 2022 when ACU met MTSU in the semifinals of the CBI. The Blue Raiders went on to win 85-69, capping off a historic 25-11 season in Brette Tanner's first year as ACU's head coach.
The game on Saturday, November 9 will begin at 6 p.m., with the game airing on ESPN+ and 101.7 FM, The Patriot. If fans can't watch the game in person or stream it, fans can follow the game on X, Facebook, Instagram or acusports.com.
ACU Storylines:
MAKING HISTORY: The Wildcats broke a program record in their matchup on Saturday. In the game against Howard Payne, the Wildcats gathered 76 total rebounds, smashing the program record. It was also the top Div. I rebounding performance on opening day, and the Wildcats currently sit in first in the NCAA in rebound margin at +55.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT: Junior guard and transfer from Oklahoma State Quion Williams made an immediate impact in his first game playing for the Purple and White. He finished Monday's game with 20 points on 9-11 shooting while also adding eight rebounds, two blocks and one steal.
POWER FORWARD: Junior forward Leonardo Bettiol led the team with 22 points and eight rebounds in his first game back for the Wildcats. Bettiol earned the 22 points all while shooting .818 from the field.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE WARNING: Junior forward Bradyn Hubbard recorded a double-double in his first game as a Wildcat. The transfer from Connors State scored 12 points and 14 rebounds. He was one of three players in the WAC to earn a double-double on Monday.
IF THERE'S A WILLIAMS, THERE IS A WAY: Freshman guard Dontrez Williams had an impressive collegiate debut in Monday's game. He finished scoring 16 points and six rebounds coming off the bench for the Wildcats.
History with Middle Tennessee:
- MTSU leads the series, 1-0
- Current Streak: MTSU, 1 win
- Last ACU win: n/a
- Last MTSU win: March 22, 2022, 85-69
Scouting the Blue Raiders:
- Middle Tennessee was selected to finish fourth in a stacked Conference USA group.
- Two Blue Raiders were selected as part of the CUSA Preseason All-Conference honors. First was Jestin Porter, who also was a 2023-24 All-Conference USA selection, and Camryn Weston.
- Justin Porter led the Blue Raiders in scoring in their first game on Monday with 20 points on .667 shooting from the field and .625 shooting from the 3-point line.
- Two Blue Raiders had double-doubles in their season debut. First was Essam Mostafa, a transfer from TCU, with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The second was Torey Alston with 11 points and a team-best 13 rebounds.
#BeDifferent #GoWildcats
