ABILENE - The ACU men's basketball team will finish the nonconference portion of its schedule with a New Year's Eve tilt against old rival Stephen F. Austin at Moody Coliseum.
Tuesday's game tips off at 3 p.m. with coverage on
ESPN+ and
101.7 FM The Patriot.
The Wildcats and Lumberjacks have played 48 times dating back to the 1926-27 season with SFA holding a 28-20 advantage. Recent match-ups have almost all been nail-biters with six of the last nine games -- and each of the past four -- decided by five points or less.
ACU and SFA met three times last season. The 'Jacks pulled out a 79-74 overtime win in Abilene, then the Wildcats returned the favor with a 63-62 victory in Nacogdoches. The final matchup saw SFA win 60-57 in the first round of the WAC Tournament.
Over the summer the Lumberjacks abruptly left the WAC and returned to the Southland Conference. The men's basketball programs quickly announced a home-and-home nonconference set to keep the series between the rivals going. ACU will play at SFA during the 2025-26 season.
LAST GAME
The Wildcats took on a Top 25 team for the second time in three weeks, losing at #13 Texas A&M, 92-54. The Aggies are the NCAA's #1 offensive rebounding team and overwhelmed ACU with a 46-26 points in the paint edge.
Quion Williams led the Wildcats with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting. ACU forced 18 turnovers, marking the ninth time this season they have forced 15 or more. Â ACU also shot a season-best 85% at the line (11-of-13 FT). Sophomore
Ma'Shy Hill made his first career start.
DEFENSE FIRST
ACU's identity is playing aggressive defense, forcing mistakes and capitalizing in transition. Head coach
Brette Tanner's goal is to force 15 turnovers each game. The Wildcats are currently averaging 16.3 -- which is 17th most in the NCAA. ACU is also averaging 10 steals per game -- ranked 18th in the country.
GO WEST, YOUNG MAN
Tuesday's game is ACU's last home match until Jan. 18 vs. California Baptist. The Wildcats will begin WAC play with three consecutive road games -- at Utah Valley, Seattle U and Grand Canyon. In all ACU will travel 7,674 miles round-trip for the three games. The Wildcats one sequence of three straight road WAC games, and another of four straight last season. ACU went 0-3 and 2-2 respectively.
AN ACU WIN WOULD...
- Mark the third time in the past seven years that ACU has finished nonconference play with nine victories. The Wildcats went 9-2 in nonconference in 2021-22 and 11-2 in 2018-19.
- Be ACU's first win in Abilene vs. SFA since Jan. 27, 2021 (3 straight losses).
- Improve the Wildcats' home record to 6-1 this season.
UP NEXT
ACU begins its 16-game WAC schedule with a visit to Orem, UT, to face the Utah Valley Wolverines on Saturday, Jan. 4. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. CT.
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