The Wildcats fell to 1-8 in the Lone Star Conference South Division as West Texas A&M defeated ACU 77-65 in Moody Coliseum Wednesday night.
The Wildcats fell behind by as much as 20 in the first half, before battling back to cut the lead down to seven with only five minutes left in the game. However, the Buffs were able to close the game out for the 12-point victory.
“We waited too long before we picked it up,” Giordan Cole said. “We played well in the second half. If we don’t wait to the second half like we did, we win the game.”
ACU was out-rebounded in the game 32-19, only managing 7 offensive rebounds and limiting most of its possessions to only one shot. WT would establish a solid inside presence and shut down the Wildcats defensively.
“They were the aggressor, and they brought it to us tonight,” Head Coach Jason Copeland said. ” I attribute that to our leadership, we need to have some kids step up and play with a sense of urgency down the stretch.”
The Buffaloes used a balanced attack, with six players who scoring double digits. West Texas A&M also scored 40 points off the bench, as they shot the ball well all night. Courtney Carr led West Texas and all scorers with 15 points.
Zach Williams led the Wildcats, adding 14 for ACU in the losing effort.
ACU fell to 9-11 overall and 1-8 in the Division, while WT improved to 18-4 overall and 5-4 in the Division.
“We came out and started decent with them, but then we got in foul trouble and ran into a lull,” Coach Copeland said. “We let them get away from us early and then we fought back. We just need some guys to step up and take leadership.”
The Wildcats will travel this weekend to take on Texas A&M UniversityÂ-Kingsville. The Javelinas have struggled in conference play, entering the game at 7-14 overall and 2-7 in Division play. The Wildcats and Javelinas are set to tip off Saturday at 4 p.m.
