Senior guard Payton Ricks led the game in scoring, as the Wildcats grabbed their third-consecutive win with a victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

In the 78-64 win Saturday, ACU (15-10, 10-4 SLC) still sits just half-a-game back from second place in the Southland Conference.

“We got off to a really good start offensively, and we have recently,” Head Coach Joe Golding said. “We’re moving the ball really well and trusting each other. I think we’re doing a really good job of that.”

The Wildcats shot the ball 68% (15-22) from the court in the first half, propelling them to a 45-34 lead at the half.

Despite the stellar shooting, ACU shot 1-13 from 3-point range.

“We aren’t the best shooting team in the country,” Golding said. “The good thing is we didn’t shoot 27 of them. I thought we had the right shots and the right guys shooting them, but sometimes they just won’t fall.”

Ricks scored 17 points on 4-9 shooting and made his presence known on defense with four steals.

“It was a good win, a much needed win,” Ricks said. “In the standings, it seems we’re tied with everybody, so every game counts.”

Meanwhile, the Islanders (10-16, 6-9 SLC) are on the outside looking in, falling to ninth in the conference standings. With just five games left in the regular season, they’ll need to find a way into the top eight of the conference to make the Southland Tournament.

Freshman guard Jordan Hairston led the way for the Islanders, dropping 13 points and two 3-pointers in just 19 minutes. Despite the loss, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was flowing on the offensive side, shooting 49% (24-49) in the game.

Up next, the Wildcats have a chance to move into second place in the conference with a win next week. ACU continues its road trip to Houston to face Houston Baptist (3-20, 3-11 SLC) Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

“It’s that time of year,” Golding said. “It’s February, it’s a grind. You’ve got to be mentally focused and have that leadership in the locker room. So we just need to keep playing the way we’re capable of.”