ABILENE, Texas (Interstat) — Abilene Christian avenged a January loss by holding off Southern Utah 87-83 in a Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Moody Coliseum. The Wildcats overcame a sharp-shooting performance from the Thunderbirds, who made 9 of 13 from 3-point range. Abilene Christian countered by forcing 24 turnovers, converting them into key possessions, and making 24 of 33 free throws. Southern Utah’s Logan Stephens scored 20 points and Elijah Duval added 19. Rich Smith led Abilene Christian with 14 points and seven assists. The Wildcats improved to 13-14 overall, while Southern Utah fell to 9-19.

ABILENE, Texas (Interstat) — In a Western Athletic Conference clash defined by relentless pressure and critical mistakes, the Abilene Christian Wildcats capitalized on a staggering 24 turnovers by Southern Utah to secure an 87-83 victory on Saturday at Moody Coliseum. The game, a stark contrast to the teams’ previous meeting just three weeks prior which Southern Utah won by three, was ultimately decided by Abilene Christian’s ability to convert Thunderbird errors into points. The Wildcats scored 23 points off turnovers, a key differential in the tight contest, and added 24 fastbreak points to Southern Utah’s 17. Despite shooting a blistering 69.2% from three-point range, making 9 of 13 attempts, Southern Utah could not overcome its ball-handling woes. The Thunderbirds’ 24 giveaways, against just 11 for Abilene Christian, provided the Wildcats with extra possessions that proved decisive. Abilene Christian also dominated inside, outscoring Southern Utah 48-38 in the paint and attempting 33 free throws to the Thunderbirds’ 22, making 24. The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the final minute. With Abilene Christian leading 82-79, Southern Utah’s Elijah Duval drove for a layup to cut the deficit to one with 33 seconds remaining. On the ensuing inbound, the Wildcats’ Rich Smith was immediately fouled. The senior guard, who finished with 14 points and seven assists, calmly sank both free throws to push the lead back to three. Southern Utah called a timeout and executed perfectly out of the break, with Duval finding Logan Stephens for a game-tying three-pointer with 19 seconds left, knotting the score at 84. The Wildcats then inbounded to Smith, who was fouled again with 2 seconds on the clock. Smith, demonstrating the composure that made him the game’s top star, made both free throws to give Abilene Christian an 86-84 lead. A final turnover by Southern Utah on its last possession led to one more free throw for Smith, sealing the four-point win. Stephens led all scorers with 20 points for Southern Utah, while Duval added 19. Tanner Hayhurst contributed 16 points and Jaiden Feroah had 12. For Abilene Christian, Smith’s all-around performance was supplemented by 16 points from Chilaydrien Newton, 15 from Bradyn Hubbard and 10 from Cade Hornecker. The loss dropped Southern Utah to 9-19 overall this season. Abilene Christian improved to 13-14, avenging its home loss to the Thunderbirds from January. The Wildcats’ defensive pressure, which generated 15 steals, was the consistent thread, disrupting Southern Utah’s efficient offense throughout the night. While the Thunderbirds shot 58% from the field, their 78 possessions were far outpaced by Abilene Christian’s 76, a direct result of the turnover disparity. Both teams continue WAC play next week. Abilene Christian travels to face Utah Tech on Thursday, while Southern Utah hosts the same Trailblazers team on Saturday.

ABILENE, Texas (Interstat) — A Western Athletic Conference rematch with revenge on its mind awaits when Abilene Christian hosts Southern Utah on Saturday at Moody Coliseum. The Wildcats (12-14) look to avenge a 79-76 home loss to the Thunderbirds just three weeks ago, on Jan. 31. Southern Utah (9-18) swept the season’s first two meetings, including a 74-52 rout in Cedar City on Jan. 17. This contest features two of the WAC’s premier scorers in a head-to-head duel. Southern Utah’s Elijah Duval torched Abilene Christian for 29 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the January victory here. The guard enters on a hot streak, averaging 20.4 points over his last five games, including 23 in a narrow 78-74 loss at Tarleton State on Thursday. Abilene Christian will counter with Bradyn Hubbard, who scored 24 points in an overtime loss at Tarleton State on Monday. The guard has been consistently productive, scoring 19 or more in three of his last four outings. He was held to 12 points in the first matchup against Southern Utah. Both teams are seeking momentum as the regular season winds down. The Wildcats have dropped three of their last four, with all three losses by six points or fewer, highlighting their struggles in close games. The Thunderbirds have lost four of their last five but have shown they can compete on the road, with two of their three WAC wins coming away from home. Southern Utah’s offense runs through Duval, who will need support from Tanner Hayhurst and Jaiden Feroah, key contributors in the recent tight loss to Tarleton. Abilene Christian will rely on Hubbard and Chilaydrien Newton, who added 14 points Monday, to generate offense. The game tips off at 7 p.m. CST Saturday in Abilene.