Road Teams Change Narrative, T-Birds Get Massive Win, and More
Road teams nearly sweep Thursday WAC games and Rob Jeter's crew breaks through.
Thursday night featured games with little offense, missed calls, and road teams changing the narrative.
The day started out with some pretty wild news. Reports started trickling in that Utah Tech and Abilene Christian might not be able to play. The power was out at Moody Coliseum on the ACU campus due to a water pipe breaking in an adjacent building.
Because the power wires run between the buildings, the water from the broken pipe put the wires underwater. Thus, causing the power outage. Even with multiple generators pumping the water out, a new plan was hatched by Utah Tech and ACU administrators.
There was no way to postpone the game as it would effect both Southern Utah and Tarleton. So, the game was moved to nearby McMurry University. We will get to that recap in a moment as it was the last game of the night.
But first, let’s get to the game of the night.
Grand Canyon came into Thursday night licking its wounds a little bit. The Lopes had a 12-game winning streak snapped at the hands of Seattle U on Saturday night at the Redhawk Center. It was also the first WAC loss of the season.
And traveling to Nacogdoches isn’t necessarily easy. Although, GCU can charter flights so it makes it a bit easier. SFA was riding high having won three straight and putting itself in the mix for the regular season crown.
And the game played out exactly like everyone thought it would…at least on the defensive end. Physicality, pressure, and a defend the paint at all costs mentality.
In fact, it took nearly 37 minutes for either team to eclipse the 50-point mark. A Duke Brennan free throw with 2:56 to play broke the 50-point barrier.
GCU shot 30 percent from the field. SFA shot 38 percent from the field. A quarter of the 104 points were scored at the free throw line. And the teams combined to make more free throws (38) than field goals (34).
Let me give you a few stats to go along with this street fight.
8-40 combined from 3-point range. 30 turnovers. 32 combined fouls. 39-36 rebounding battle that went the way of GCU.
That is how ugly of a game it was. GCU led twice…once to open the game on Gabe McGlothan’s two free throws and then when Collin Moore hit a pair of free throws with 3:58 to play to make it 49-48.
After Duke Brennan gave GCU a 50-49 lead, GCU got a stop on the other end. But SFA got a stop on GCU’s next offensive possession. However, Jalil Beaubrun didn’t see Collin Moore on his outlet pass. Moore picked up the steal and finished the layup to give GCU a 52-49 lead with 1:10 to play.
After AJ Cajuste drove the lane to make it a 1-point game, SFA was able to force a turnover on the other end.
But, after a lengthy review, SFA had a chance to take the lead. AJ Cajuste found Matt Hayman on the baseline…and well, as you have seen on X, you know the rest.
Hayman went up for a shot and upon further video evidence, all parties involved can clearly see Gabe McGlothan should have been called for a foul.
Instead, no call was made, Hayman’s shot missed, and the battle for the rebound went out of bounds into GCU’s hands.
SFA then fouled, Ray Harrison hit one of two free throws and SFA still had another chance. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough time and the Lopes escaped Nacogdoches with the win.
Coupled with Tarleton’s loss, GCU now sits all alone atop the WAC standings at 9-1.
SFA falls to 5-3 in WAC play, in a three-way tie for second place in the WAC standings with Tarleton, and California Baptist.
Lancers Win 4th Straight
Playing at home seems to be the cure for a lot of teams. This is even more so for the California Baptist Lancers.
After starting the new year with road games at Utah Valley, at Southern Utah and at Seattle U, all losses, CBU returned last week to the Fowler Events Center and proceeded to win three straight, two of which were by double figures.
On Thursday night, the Lancers began Texas Two-Step in Edinburg against a UTRGV squad that is severely banged up.
And the Lancers did what they needed to do to secure just their third win away from Fowler Events Center.
Hunter Goodrick had a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double and the Lancers took advantage of a UTRGV squad that was without Ahren Freeman, Hasan Abdul-Hakim and a host of other Vaqueros. Elijah Elliott also did not play.
CBU now heads to East Texas to take on SFA on Saturday. UTRGV gets the weekend off to rest and recuperate before taking the trip to the Rocky Mountains next week to face Utah Tech and Southern Utah.
T-Birds Pick Up Massive Road Win
Southern Utah has been right there in nearly every game in 2023-24. Buzzer beater losses at Northern Arizona and Montana State. The near-upset at Utah. A couple of surprise finishes in WAC play.
Now, the Southern Utah men’s basketball team has won two of its last three WAC games after a 73-70 win at Tarleton on Thursday night.
What is even more impressive is the T-Birds were without their leading scorer in Parsa Fallah. It was just the second game all season Fallah hasn’t played.
But, Dominique Ford and Jamari Sibley picked up the slack with 23 and 21 points, respectively. And a 10-2 run late in the first half was all Southern Utah needed to take control.
Sure, Tarleton got within a point late in the second half. But the T-Birds did something they have struggled to do all season: close out a ball game.
Dom Ford scored eight straight points to push the SUU lead back to five with 3:04 to play.
Ford and Zion Young then proceeded to knock down free throws to seal the win at Wisdom Gym.
SUU improves to 2-6 in WAC play and will head to West Texas to take on ACU on Saturday. Tarleton hosts Utah Tech on Saturday at Wisdom Gym.
ACU Gets Win on Neutral Floor
As you read above, the ACU-Utah Tech game was moved to McMurry University due to some facility issues at ACU.
It didn’t matter. ACU shot nearly 60 percent from the floor in the second half to cruise to an 83-60 win over Utah Tech.
Airion Simmons had a team-high 17 points. Leo Bettiol had an 11-point, 11-rebound double double in the win.
Tanner Christensen was the only Trailblazer in double figures with 15 points.
ACU improves to 3-5 in WAC play and 8-11 overall. The Wildcats host Southern Utah on Saturday.
Utah Tech falls to 3-5 in WAC play and 7-12 overall. The Trailblazers have lost three straight since beating SFA and travel to Wisdom Gym to take on Tarleton on Saturday.
That foul not called was only one of the bad calls in that game.