In another heartbreaker in Texas, the Southern Utah University men’s basketball team lost to Abilene Christian University on Saturday, Feb. 21. The Thunderbirds were led by a career-best performance from Logan Stephens, but fell barely short, 87-83.
This was the final road trip of the regular season. The T-Birds will have three more home games before the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.
SUU fell to 9-19 on the year and now holds a 5-10 conference record. They sit at the bottom of the WAC and have lost six of their last eight games. They went 3-15 on the road this year.
ACU improved to 13-14 this season and sits at 5-9 in the conference. They’ve won three of their last four games.
First half
SUU jumped out to an early 8-2 lead. They made nine of their first 12 shots and were hot from outside the three-point line.
After standout freshman Elijah Duval subbed out and ACU tied the game at 18-18, a new star emerged. Logan Stephens, who averaged seven minutes and four points per game prior to this match, brought an unbelievable intensity and motor. He finished the night with a career-high 20 points.
SUU strung together some good shots and improved on defensive positioning to end the half. They led 48-38 at the break.
Besides ties, SUU led for the entire half. Despite allowing 24 Wildcat points in the paint, the T-Birds had built a sizable lead.
Second half
The second half started cold for the Thunderbirds. They only attempted five shots in the first five minutes while turning the ball over six times.
ACU took advantage of bad passes and steals to cut the deficit to two within seven minutes. Within a few more minutes, the Wildcats took their first lead.
Abilene Christian led by as much as six at multiple points, including with just 27 seconds left. Stephens hit a three to cut the lead as the teams played the free throw game.
With 11 seconds left, Duval hit a floater to cut the lead to two. Stephens got a massive steal to give SUU the ball back, and Duval attempted the same shot to tie the game. However, the shot was no good and ACU sank dagger free throws to win 87-83.
Top T-Birds
— Stephens had a career night. He recorded 20 points, two rebounds, two steals, and an assist in 21 minutes. He also shot 3-3 from three and 7-8 from the free-throw line.
— Duval racked up 19 points, four assists, two rebounds, a block and a steal.
— Tanner Hayhurst played for a team-leading 35 minutes, posting 16 points and four rebounds.
— Jaiden Feroah put on an intense performance on both sides of the ball. He recorded 12 points, four steals, three rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
— Isaiah Cottrell posted seven points, seven rebounds, four blocks, two assists and a steal.
What’s next?
The team’s final homestand will begin with a matchup with Utah Tech University. The game will be on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 6:30 p.m. in the America First Event Center.
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Author: Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Heather Turner
