Continuing a run of impressive performances, the Southern Utah University men’s basketball hosted Abilene Christian University on Saturday, Jan. 17. The T-Birds dominated in the frontcourt on both sides of the ball, walking away with a 74-52 victory.
With the win, SUU improves to 6-13 and now sits at 2-4 in the Western Athletic Conference. They still hold the worst overall record in the WAC, but are now tied for No. 5 with Tarleton State University and ACU.
The Wildcats now hold a record of 10-9 and share SUU’s 2-4 conference standing. They’ve dropped three games in a row, all being decided by double-digit points.
First half
Southern Utah opened strong, going on a 6-2 run and holding ACU to 0-5 shooting from the field in the first three minutes. The Wildcats got a three and a dunk to cut the lead to one and tied the game two minutes later.
Until around the ten-minute mark, the teams almost exclusively attempted three-pointers or shots at the rim. The T-Birds then scored seven straight points thanks to two steals and a big three from Dylan Jones.
ACU made a three of their own, but Jones responded with yet another deep shot to keep the Thunderbirds nine points ahead. SUU then turned up the heat, scoring 13 of the final 15 points in the half. The Wildcats shot 1-7 over the final three minutes as the T-Birds led 44-27.
SUU’s offense was clicking throughout the entire game. They shot 54.6% from the field and 50% from three in this half.
Second half
Despite the large deficit, ACU looked to be on the precipice of a comeback at the beginning of the quarter. Five consecutive misses from SUU, including four triples, allowed the Wildcats to score the first seven points of the period.
The T-Birds then switched up their offensive strategy, cashing in some layups for six straight points. The teams then combined for just three field goals over the next nine minutes. Abilene Christian shot 1-13 from the field over that stretch while Southern Utah went 2-8.
SUU was completely in the driver’s seat for the final eight minutes, with the lead above 20 most of the time and never dipping below 15. They ended up running away with the 74-52 victory.
The Thunderbirds led by double-digits for the entire half and played some of their best basketball all year. This is their second winning streak of the season.
Key stats
— Abilene Christian never led the game and only tied it in the first half.
— Five different T-Birds scored in the double digits.
— SUU had 40 points in the paint compared to ACU’s 18.
— SUU went 2-10 from three in the second half but still finished the game with a respectable 36.4% from deep. They shot an impressive 48.3% from the field and 55.6% on two-pointers.
— The T-Bird defense completely stifled the Wildcats as they shot 23.8% from the field and 16.7% from three.
Top T-Birds
— Lorenzo Abellar recorded five rebounds, five assists, four points and two steals off the bench.
— Isaiah Cottrell cashed in a career-best game with 13 points, four assists and team leads of 12 rebounds and four blocks.
— Jaiden Feroah gave an incredible two-way performance, recording 16 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals.
— SUU’s three-point-shooting duo of Jones and Tanner Hayhurst had nearly identical statlines. Jones had 13 points, a rebound and an assist with three triples while Hayhurst had 12 points and a rebound with two triples.
— Roc Lee had 11 points, two rebounds and a steal off the bench.
What’s next?
SUU stays at home for one more game when they host Utah Valley University on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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Author: Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Heather Turner
