Optimist
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Features
    • Book Review
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Police Log
  • Print Edition
  • Projects
  • Classifieds
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
You are here: Home / Sports / Wildcats force 20 turnovers but drop season opener to Utes
Redshirt sophomore guard Immanuel Allen reaches for the ball. (Photo by David Mitchell)

Wildcats force 20 turnovers but drop season opener to Utes

November 10, 2021 by Connor Mullins

New head coach Brette Tanner and the Wildcats dropped their season opener 70-56 to the Utah Utes on Tuesday night in Salt Lake City.

Tanner kicked off his ACU head coaching career on Tuesday after being an assistant at ACU for the past eight seasons, which was a dream come true for him.

“I mean this is what you dream of doing,” Tanner said. “For me to have my first team and to have guys like this that I’m coaching every day, it’s super special. They’ve got my back and they know I’ve got theirs. It’s a special group and I can’t wait to see what the year holds for us.”

The Wildcats led the turnover margin 20 to 12 against the Utes after the Wildcats were first in the nation last season in turnover margin. Tanner said he was extremely proud of the effort from his team.

“I think we proved tonight that this team is going to be really good,” Tanner said. “It’s rare to say that in a loss but I really feel that way. We play the right way so we’re going to win a lot of games.”

Redshirt junior guard Immanuel Allen led the way for the Wildcats with 13 points off the bench. Allen redshirted his first season at ACU after transferring from Butler Community College. Last season, he tore his ACL after appearing in 14 games.

“I’ve been through a lot of adversity here in my time at ACU and this team has never really given up on me,” Allen said. “They have a lot of trust in me to go out there and make plays. I’m really thankful to have the team that I have because I don’t know if I could do it without them.”

Tanner said he wants fans to know despite the loss, that ACU basketball is not gone and to be proud of the effort they showed against the Utes.

“These fans have a great basketball team,” Tanner said. “I’m super proud of the way they represented themselves with their fight, grit and toughness. Everybody at ACU, forget the scoreboard, should be super proud of what this team did tonight. We represented ourselves really well tonight and it’s going to turn into wins pretty quick.”

Tanner and the Wildcats now look ahead to road trips to Texas A&M and the University of Texas at Arlington before heading home to face McMurry at home on Nov. 19. ACU faces off against Texas A&M next on Friday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. on the SEC Network+.

Filed Under: Showcase, Sports

Other Showcase:

  • Gallery: Pickleball Club hosts 24-hour tournament with games, prizes and Santa meet-and-greet

  • Gallery: Campus unites with tree lighting and Jordy Searcy concert during Litmas

  • Gallery: Men’s Basketball sees first loss against Prairie View A&M

About Connor Mullins

I'm a senior journalism major with minors in business administration and bible, missions and ministry from Abilene. I thoroughly enjoy having the platform to tell the stories that deserve to be told and am pursuing a professional career in mass communications.

You are here: Home / Sports / Wildcats force 20 turnovers but drop season opener to Utes

Other Showcase:

  • Gallery: Pickleball Club hosts 24-hour tournament with games, prizes and Santa meet-and-greet

  • Gallery: Campus unites with tree lighting and Jordy Searcy concert during Litmas

  • Gallery: Men’s Basketball sees first loss against Prairie View A&M

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

Twitter feed is not available at the moment.

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

3 days ago

The Optimist
Worry. Confusion. Fear. These are emotions that consume people when processing the concept of war. A student wants answers to peace and looks for it in family, friends, and leaders of the community. Students want answers to their questions and ACU has provided a platform for this. To read more about the resources provided visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #israelhamaswar #abilenetx #warresources ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

5 days ago

The Optimist
This week on the Optimist Newscast we talk about the end of the Wildcat Football season and the goodbye blessing of Chaplin Cyrus Eaton. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #acuchaplin #acufootball #acuvstexasam ... See MoreSee Less

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Nov. 28, 2023

Our top stories this week include the Venture Out Market, ASA's Choma Event and ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Nov. 16, 2023
  • Ethnos: Echoes Celebrates Students’ Diverse Cultures
  • Optimist Newscast Nov. 10, 2023

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • Podcasts

© 2023 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved