ST. GEORGE, Utah – The ACU Wildcats have an opportunity to get their season back on track this weekend as they travel to Utah to face Utah Tech and Southern Utah in Western Athletic Conference men's basketball action.
The Wildcats are 9-13 overall and 1-6 in the WAC, but they will face two teams with five-game losing streaks into Thursday night's games. ACU will play Utah Tech at 8 p.m. (CT) on Thursday, while Southern Utah will play Cal Baptist before hosting ACU at 7:30 p.m. (CT) on Saturday in Cedar City, Utah.
Utah Tech is 6-16 overall and 2-5 in the league, while Southern Utah is 9-13 and 1-7. Going into this weekend's action, Utah Tech is in last place in the WAC.
ACU is coming off a week of rest after a rough start to the WAC schedule. The Wildcats were on the road for the first three games of the conference schedule before playing three straight at home. ACU is on another three-game road swing, which started last Thursday with an 83-60 loss at Cal Baptist.
The Wildcats, however, are 6-2 all-time against their two opponents this week: 5-0 against Utah Tech and 1-2 against Southern Utah. However, that one win against the Thunderbirds was a 77-68 win in Cedar City on Feb. 29, 2024.
ACU has lost 8 of 9 games since Dec. 28, although four of those losses have been by 5, 2, 6, and 3 points, with the last three coming in conference games. Junior guard Quion Williams continues to lead the Wildcats in scoring (13.8 points per game) and rebounding (5.6 rebounds per game), and junior forward Leo Bettiol is second in scoring (13.7 ppg) and rebounding (3.9 rpg). Junior forward Bradyn Hubbard has played some of his best basketball of the season of late, scoring in double figures in six of the Wildcats' last seven games, raising his scoring average to 8.7 ppg.
Utah Tech – 5-3 at home and 0-12 on the road this season – is led by senior guard Noa Gonsalves, who is shooting 37.8 percent from 3-point range this season (54 for 143) and averaging a team-high 14.2 ppg. Senior guard Beon Riley is averaging 13.6 ppg and 7.9 rpg, and senior guard Hakim Byrd is averaging 10.0 ppg.
Southern Utah is led by senior guard / forward Jamir Simpson, who scores 17.0 points and grabs 4.8 rebounds per game, and senior guard Dominique Ford, who averages 14.8 ppg and shoots 35.4 percent from the 3-point range (40 of 113).
