By Joel Weckerly, Sports Editor
The men’s basketball team will continue its short Lone Star Conference South Division road trip 8 p.m. Saturday at third-place West Texas A&M.
After playing second-place Eastern New Mexico in Portales, N.M., Thursday night, the Wildcats-10-7 overall and 1-1 in the LSC South as of Thursday-take on the Buffaloes in Canyon, where ACU hasn’t won since 1998. In fact, ACU has lost 10 straight regular-season games against West Texas A&M.
“They’re a very good basketball team, and they’re very good at home,” ACU head coach Klint Pleasant said.
The Buffaloes, 5-2 at home this season, are led by senior guard Rod Prater, who is living up to his billing as LSC South Pre-Season Player of the Year by averaging 19.7 points per game. Prater is a two-dimensional threat who can both slash to the basket and pull up for the jump shot equally well. Prater is shooting an impressive 37 percent from 3-point range this season.
“He’s very explosive off the dribble and he’s an excellent outside shooter,” Pleasant said. “They run a lot of isolation stuff for him. We’re going to try to contain him; run two to three guards at him and try to keep him out of the paint.”
ACU junior guard David Baxter leads the team with 15.8 points per game, while senior forward Tucker Pierson’s 9.5 rebounds per game leads the team and the entire LSC. Senior point guard Cliff Green leads the LSC in both assists (5.8) and steals (3.4).
The Wildcats return to Moody Coliseum Thursday to play host for Texas A&M-Commerce.
