ACU (4-6, 0-2) snapped a four-game skid Sunday afternoon in an impressive and dominant 120-69 win over the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets (6-5, 1-3).
Along with their first 120-point win in ten years, the Wildcats set a D-I era school record for rebounds in a game at 60, and tallied a team total, 32 assists as well.
The Wildcats were coming off of a last second loss to Northern Arizona in their previous game while HPU was coming off of a high-scoring win against McMurry.
The Wildcats started the game off slower than they would have hoped and found themselves down three at 23-20 only seven and a half minutes into the first half.
“We’ve been on the struggle bus for a little bit,” head coach Brette Tanner said. “We’ve been playing well, we’ve just come up short and I think we had a little bit of a lull to start the game.
However, ACU would then go on a 16-2 run over the next six minutes. The stretch began with four free throws from junior guard Ali Abdou Dibba, who would then dish one out to sophomore forward Leonardo Bettiol on the next possession. Dibba followed up by knocking down a three the next possession to extend the lead even further.
Despite being up 11 with 6:44 remaining in the first half, HPU was able to hang around for another minute or two and cut into the lead, bringing it to 37-33. Yet the Wildcats would respond once again, this time from the help of sophomore guard Muodubem Muoneke, who would score an extra five points in the last two minutes as the Wildcats would take a 51-38 lead into the half.
It would be the second half where the Wildcats gained full control and began to truly pull away.
“We’ve been struggling offensively,” Tanner said. “What I was trying to get across to them was when you turn people over, you go. If we can get out and go we want to take advantage of that and I think we got a lot of easy baskets by pushing the ball up the floor.”
Starting at the 19 minute mark, the Wildcats would go on a 23-3 run in which eight different Wildcats would score buckets to make it a thirty point lead at 76-46, with still over 13 minutes remaining in the second half.
A three-pointer from sophomore guard JV Seat near the six minute mark not only got the Wildcats over the century mark, but also extended the lead to 40-points.
With the game sealed, the Wildcat bench left their mark as well as sophomore guard Colby Tanner hit two threes off the bench and freshman guard Yaniel Rivera would score a layup to set up Muoneke to throw down a dunk and give the Wildcats a 51-point lead and the 120-69 victory.
“I was happy with our bench,” Tanner said. “Those guys needed reps. Without having any games like this early in the year, I have been basically going with the guys who on the first of November had earned those spots. Hopefully some of those guys have gained some confidence and we can maybe work a couple of those guys in a little bit more.”
ACU finished with every player scoring a field goal, with six either setting or matching a career high. Muoneke led with 19 off the bench, followed by Dibba with 17 and senior forward Aidan Igiehon added 15. Senior forward Airion Simmons and Bettiol each reached double figures as well.
Every Wildcat also recorded at least one rebound and Igiehon led the team with eight. Simmons and senior guard Immanuel Allen followed with six each. Junior guard Kavion McClain dished a team-leading seven assists to go along with three steals.
ACU finished the game shooting 60.5% from the field.
The Wildcats will have a bit of a break as they are off for the next week and will not see their next action until Sunday at 3 p.m. where they will take on UTEP at Moody Coliseum with the game streaming live on ESPN+.
