Junior forward Joe Pleasant scored a career-high 22 points, and the Wildcats shot 52% from the field for its fifth-consecutive victory Monday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 82-69.
“It’s a typical night in the Southland Conference on the road,” said head coach Joe Golding. “I thought Corpus did a great job planning. They’re playing desperate, and they have to win. I thought our guys stuck with the game plan, and Pleasant played really well.”
The Wildcats led by just two points at halftime, but Golding said his team did a great job down the final stretch.
“I think it’s our depth. I think we just wear on people as the game goes on,” Golding said. “Our defense becomes grueling for people, and we bring pressure in waves.”
ACU (16-3, 8-1 SLC) also passed the ball efficiently with 20 assists and only eight turnovers.
“We’ve been able to do that all year,” Golding said. “That’s what this team does, and they believe in each other and the extra pass. I’ve never been a part of a team that averages as many points a game as it does and only has one guy in double figures.”
Pleasant scored 17 points in the second half, sparking the double-digit lead and win. He said they still have more work ahead.
“We just got to continue to work,” Pleasant said. “We had to be physical, and it just happened to be my night.”
Senior center Kolton Kohl also made an impact with 13 points and four rebounds.
Up next, the busy week of Wildcat basketball continues. In total, ACU plays four games in a span of seven days. Houston Baptist is next on the slate in Abilene Wednesday at 7 p.m.
“They’ve had a week off, so they’re going to be prepared for us,” Golding said. “We’ve got a quick turnaround, and we’ve got to get ready to play on Wednesday.”
