ACU Basketball Season Begins Monday with Home Doubleheader

The Abilene Christian women's and men's basketball teams open their respective seasons with a pair of games at Moody Coliseum on Monday. The women open the action against Howard Payne at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men taking on McMurry at 8 p.m.


ACU Women vs. Howard Payne - Monday, 5:30 p.m.

Buy Tickets | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats

The ACU women have the eyes of the Western Athletic Conference on them following a 22-13 campaign in 2024-25. The Wildcats were picked to finish first in the conference in the WAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, while junior guard Payton Hull was named the conference's Preseason Player of the Year. 

Hull was previously tabbed the Preseason WAC Player of the Year by ESPN's Charlie Creme last week. She tallied a conference-leading 18.95 points per game with the WAC's sixth-highest field goal percentage at .452.

Additionally, the Wildcats landed at No. 13 in the preseason CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll voted on by coaches. ACU is the only ranked program from Texas.

ACU is on the heels of a run to the Super 16 round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament last season while earning its most victories, highest overall winning percentage and highest conference winning percentage since 2020.

Hull was selected for the Preseason All-WAC Team alongside junior center Meredith Mayes. Hull and Mayes lead an ACU roster that returns five of last season's top six scorers as it ranked in the conference's top four in scoring offense and defense, averaging 71.51 points while limiting opponents to 61.77 points per game.

Mayes garnered All-WAC Second Team distinction last year as the conference's third-ranked rebounder with 7.16 per game, including 3.31 on the offensive glass to rank second. Her 1.13 blocks per game tied for third, and her 36 total blocked shots were the sixth-most in a season in ACU's Division I era.

Mayes, Hull and Emma Troxell each averaged over 11 points per game last season, while Mayes and Troxell each tallied over five rebounds per contest.



ACU Men vs. McMurry - Monday, 8 p.m.

Buy Tickets | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats

The ACU men will try to win their fourth straight season-opening game on Monday against crosstown opponent McMurry.

That stretch of starting three consecutives with a win includes a 64-59 victory at Oklahoma State in 2023. Since moving up to Division I in 2013, the Wildcats are 10-2 in season openers and 11-1 in home openers. ACU defeated McMurry last season, 101-55.

ACU is coming off a 16-16 mark in 2024-25, and was picked to finish third in the WAC by a preseason coaches poll.

The Wildcats are led by Bradyn Hubbard, who is one of seven returners for head coach Brette Tanner's fifth season. Hubbard was named to the Preseason All-WAC Team behind his 11-point, 6-rebound average from last year.

ACU also returns point guard Rich Smith, who started 23 games. Joseph Venzant was in the starting lineup at the beginning of the year, but missed the final 24 games with an injury. Yaniel Rivera played in 31 games and started seven at point guard.

Sophomore Christian Alston and post players Cade Hornecker and Ma'Shy Hill contributed off the bench in 2024-25 and expect to carve out larger roles this season. 

Newcomers this season include transfers Zy Wright (Chadron State), Cbo Newton (Grambling State), and Joseph Scott (Mineral Area College). Tanner's coaching staff has also added three freshmen: Tylan Lewis (Nashville, TN), Isaiah Carrillo (Abilene Wylie HS), and Isaac Dye (State College, PA).

McMurry is a member of Division III and competes in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). Monday's game serves as an exhibition for the War Hawks, who were picked fifth out of 12 teams in the SCAC Preseason Poll. They finished 9-16 overall and 7-6 in conference in 2024-25.