ESPNU Coming to ACU on Thursday Night

For the first time in Abilene Christian history, a home event will be nationally televised on a linear ESPN channel as Thursday night's matchup versus UT Arlington at Moody Coliseum will be broadcast on ESPNU.

Tipoff is at 8 p.m. for Greek Night presented by Arrow Ford. Fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs all night long, and there is a limited time 50% off sale on tickets. ACU social clubs will be tailgating outside the south entrance beginning around 6:45 p.m. Additional promotions include free rally towels, a Braum's giveaway at halftime, and one lucky student will have the chance to win $500 with a half-court putt presented by My Emergency Room 247.

The Wildcats have already played before a national audience this season. Their Dec. 19 game at No. 10 BYU was broadcast on TNT and truTV, and ACU had a more than respectable performance against the Cougars, leading for 11:19 of the first half.

Thursday starts a four-game stretch of staying at home, or just down I-20 for ACU. The Cats host Tarleton State on Saturday, then head to Stephenville to play Texans on Monday, Feb. 16 in a game which has been postponed twice due to an ice and snow storm. The stretch finishes with a home game against Southern Utah on Saturday, Feb. 21.





UT Arlington defeated ACU 82-72 on Jan. 10 in the first meeting this season. The teams will face off for a third time on Saturday, March 7 for ACU's Senior Day.

Lowell Galindo (play-by-play) and former UTEP and Texas head coach Rodney Terry (color commentator) will be on the call on ESPNU.


 

• ACU led with less than 2:00 left, but a buzzer-beating 3-pointer was short at the WAC preseason favorite.
• ACU held CBU to just 17 made FG and 34% FG.
• The Wildcats scored a season-low four points off turnovers.
• It was just the second time this season ACU has lost when grabbing more rebounds than its opponent.

• ACU has struggled out of the gate, but gotten hot down the conference stretch each of the last four years.
• In the month of February, ACU is 17-10 in the past four seasons (8-4 at home, 9-6 away).
• ACU won 7 of its last 9 WAC games last season.

• Bradyn Hubbard, a Preseason All-WAC pick, leads ACU in three main categories: points per game (15.4), rebounds per game (4.6), and steals per game (1.9).
• Hubbard has 7 games with 20+ points -- the last of which came on Jan. 10 at UTA.

• Last week Rich Smith moved into 7th place in ACU's Division I record book for career assists, passing Payten Ricks. He now has 207 assists and needs 22 more to climb to 6th place.
• Smith has 16 games with 5+ assists this season.

• ACU has climbed to a season-best 7th place in the country in turnovers forced per game (16).
• The Cats are 11th in steals per game with 9.7.
• ACU had forced at least 20 turnovers in three consecutive games until forcing just 12 at CBU last Saturday.