Hoping to use home court advantage to snap their losing streak, the Southern Utah University men’s basketball team will host Tarleton State University on Thursday, Jan. 15 at 6:30 p.m., followed by Abilene Christian University on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the same time.
Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Southern Utah
The T-Birds are in the midst of one of their rougher seasons in recent memory. With a 4-13 record, they’re on track to have their worst win-loss percentage since the 2016-17 season.
SUU is on a seven-game losing streak, which includes all four of their conference games. While holding a 1-11 record in road games, the Thunderbirds sport a 3-2 home standing. A familiar environment could be the key for them to put this cold stretch behind them.
While Southern Utah was subdued on offense in their last game and experienced shooting troubles, there were some silver linings. They grabbed more than 40 rebounds for the second time since Nov. 11.
Last game was also the second time in their losing streak that the T-Birds have shot 75% or better from the free-throw line. If things all click at the same time and SUU keeps playing the foul game well, they could turn a close loss like last game into a few wins this home stretch.
Tarleton State
Despite a strong 11-6 record, TSU sits at third in the conference standings and holds the fourth-best record in a packed Western Athletic Conference. They’ve gone 2-2 in conference play with each game decided by six points or fewer.
The Texans have been playing great basketball lately, winning or coming within 10 points of victory every game since Dec. 1. However, they have a losing record on the road, meaning they’re still vulnerable as long as SUU can string some rallies together.
Tarleton State has many talented players, but none contribute to offense as visibly as Dior Johnson. The junior guard averages 23.8 points per game and shoots 56.7% from three, which both lead his team by far.
While TSU has been about even with opponents in most categories, their propensity for steals is huge. Any team facing them has to avoid turnovers in order to have a chance at winning.
Southern Utah is 2-4 against Tarleton State all-time. The Texans have taken the last three matchups.
Abilene Christian
The Wildcats have a 10-7 record and are tied for third place in the WAC with a 2-2 conference standing. Like the other two featured teams, ACU does much better at home with six wins in seven home games.
Despite going 3-3 in their last six games, each loss was by 15 points or less. Like Tarleton State, Abilene Christian has shown a fight to close out games and avoid blowout losses.
One of the more important stats for a matchup with the Wildcats is their three-point shooting. The team averages 33.3% from three but allows opponents to go 36.5%. This lessened perimeter defense could unleash the SUU offense and allow them to knock down more shots.
Abilene Christian has a clear star in Bradyn Hubbard. The senior forward leads his team in points and rebounds while ranking second in assists and steals.
SUU is 2-3 against ACU all-time. Just like Tarleton State, the Wildcats have won their last three games against the T-Birds.
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Author: Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Isaac Hirschi