The men’s basketball team ended its two-game losing streak on Thursday with an 86-72 win over the Utah Tech Trailblazers after a week long break.

With Thursday’s victory the Wildcats secured their tenth win of the season to move to 10-13 for the season and 2-6 in Western Athletic Conference play.

The Wildcat’s leading scorer was Hunter Jack Madden, senior guard from Sydney, Australia, with 18 points. Four out of the five starters for ACU scored in double figures.

It is Madden’s first game returning as a starter after he came off the bench the past three games. His 18 points are his most in a game since Dec. 4. It is also his first time scoring in double figures for the first time since Dec. 13.

Head Coach Brette Tanner said the week-long break was much needed after being on the road for four out of seven games in January.

“I think that this was kind of good to hit the reset button and let’s get ourselves back and take a quick break from each other,” Tanner said. “It was needed to think about some things that we can work on and change.”

The current Utah road trip the team is on is the first time this season that the team will play multiple games in the same road trip, as they play Southern Utah  University on Saturday in Utah, saving the team time by not having to travel back to Abilene.

Now in February, the Wildcats are halfway through WAC play and sit at seventh in the standings. With eight games left, Tanner is hoping to go on a run like the one last year’s team went on a seven-game winning streak starting in February.

“I’m fully confident that this team is about to turn a corner in February,” Tanner said. “It’s what we do. It’s what we’ve kind of made a habit of. I know these guys don’t quit, they continue to work and they’re rewarded for that.”

The Wildcats will have a quick turnaround when they play Southern Utah on Saturday as they look to get their second win in a row.