ACU Loses Nail-Biter in Pacific Northwest

SEATTLE, Wash. - Despite building an 11-point lead midway through the second half and improved shooting all around, the ACU men's basketball team could not outlast Seattle U, 66-64 on Saturday night.

The Wildcats (8-9 overall, 0-2 WAC) used a 10-0 run at the start of the second half to sprint in front of the Redhawks. ACU led 55-44 with 10:37 left in the game when Seattle U began its climb back.

The Redhawks held ACU scoreless for more than 5 minutes as they went on a 15-0 tear to retake the lead at 59-55.

A determined Leonardo Bettiol made back-to-back lay-ups to tie the game with 4:46 remaining. But, the Wildcats remained cold from the floor with 4:23 elapsing until their next made field goal.

Off an inbounds pass under the basket, freshman Dontrez Williams ripped the ball away from an SU player and immediately laid the ball off the glass and in for a 64-all ball game.

Seattle U dribbled the clock down to 0:04 left when Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe drove to hsi right, created separation against Bettiol, and used his lengthy armspan to softly kiss a lay-up through. Quion Williams' off-balance shot from 8-feet away hit the back iron at the buzzer and the Redhawks held on for the slim victory.


KEY POINTS

• Quion Williams had 16 points and 9 rebounds -- both game-highs for ACU. It marked his tenth consecutive double-digit scoring game.
• Bradyn Hubbard shot 3-of-3 from behind the arc, breaking his career best for most 3-point shots made in a single-game.
• In the first half ACU was called for 11 fouls compared to 6 on Seattle U. The key was the disparity in free throws. SU had 21 FT attempts in the first half, while ACU had just one. For the game the Wildcats were 3-of-7 at the line. The Redhawks were 20-of-29.
• Saturday's loss bucked many winning trends for the Wildcats. It was the first game this season that ACU has lost when they've shot the ball at a better clip than their opponent (now 8-1 this season).
• ACU also dropped to 7-4 this season when scoring more bench points than their opponent. The Wildcats were 7-2 in that situation during nonconference.
• The Wildcats are 1-3 this season in games decided by 5 or fewer points.

UP NEXT

ACU concludes its three-game road swing to begin WAC play on Thursday, Jan. 16. The Wildcats visit Grand Canyon for the seventh meeting in the programs' histories. ACU earned its first win in the series in the most recent game on Feb. 24, 2024 - a 79-74 victory for the Wildcats in Abilene.

Tip-off from Phoenix is Thursday at 8 p.m.