Men’s basketball secured win number one of their 2026-2027 campaign with a close 83-81 win over Texas rival Lamar on Saturday.

The Cardinals came into the matchup undefeated with an offensive explosion in their first matchup, with a 124-62 win over Schreiner on November 2nd. ACU was searching for its first win after falling to Big 12 opponent Colorado in Boulder on Monday.

The first faceoff in Moody Coliseum this year started with a defensive theme, with only 15 combined points in the first five minutes between the two teams. The final five minutes of the first half saw ACU go on a run to head into the locker room leading by eight.

In the second half, Lamar outscored the Wildcats 50-44, but the Cardinals’ strong second-half effort wasn’t enough, though it was close.

With 1:17 remaining in the game, the Wildcats led 79-72, comfortably in the lead. An ensuing layup, a Wildcat turnover, and then a free throw from the line brought the Cardinals within four.

The rest of the game consisted of ACU free throws following Lamar fouls to conserve time, followed by Lamar’s three-pointers to make things interesting. Ultimately, the clock was the Wildcat’s best friend and essential free throws from Senior Guard Yaniel Rivera and Sophomore Guard Timeo Pons iced the game.

Yaniel Rivera is one of only 17 seniors in the country who have spent all four years at the same school. Head coach Brette Tanner pointed to that stat immediately after the win.

“There’s nobody else I would want on the free throw line than Yanni to step up and make those four free throws when we needed them,” Tanner said. “He didn’t shoot the ball well tonight, but he made some big-time, timely shots for us. As a four-year senior, a kid who came in and has worked his way all the way up to the top, I’ll go anywhere with that dude.”

Rivera’s value shows up away from the court, too. At Monday’s press conference, Tanner said that he caught him in the hallway after practice, walking a freshman through Lamar’s personnel.

“That’s what leaders do,” Tanner said. “You don’t get that unless you have somebody who’s been in the program for three years going on year four.”

Isaac Dye led the way offensively. The sophomore guard scored a team-high 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three-point range, as ACU shot 43.5 percent from deep. It was a composed performance from a player who has changed his approach since last season, when Dye hit 6 of 10 from three in a 20-point night off the bench against Southwestern Adventist.

“Isaac didn’t hunt any of those,” Tanner said. “Last year, if he came in a game, he was going to shoot it as soon as he touched it, and that’s a typical freshman. But Isaac has been our rock through our whole preseason. He’s letting the game come to him, which is all we talked about in the offseason. He’s not just a shooter. He can defend, he can rebound.”

Evan Boisdur, sophomore guard from Lamentin, Guadeloupe, added 17 points and seven assists despite Tanner saying he wasn’t sure Boisdur would play.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a good ball handler with speed,” Tanner said. “He fought through it … the kid competed for us.”

Pons finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, and Tanner pointed to his response after a second-half turnover, when he immediately stole the ball back and scored.

“I don’t think two weeks ago Timmy O goes and makes that play after he makes the turnover,” Tanner said. “That play shows the first mistake doesn’t kill us. It’s the second one.”

Tanner said the result mattered less than the process.

“I’m certainly glad we won, but that’s not my main concern right now,” he said Monday. “It’s do we get better, because ultimately at our level, it’s about January, February, and March.”

The next test arrives on Wednesday, when Stephen F. Austin visits Moody Coliseum.

“They’re a very good defensive team, but more impressively, offensively they are really good, and our defense is not really ready to play a team as good as them offensively,” Tanner said. “I think we’ve got the tools. It’s just, are we ready or not? I think we’ll find out Wednesday.”