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San Antonio, Texas – UIW looks to go 3-0 on its home stand when the Cardinals host Abilene Christian to the McDermott Convocation Center on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. The game is the second half of a doubleheader with the women's team.
 
OPENING TIP
 
UIW leads the all-time series, 10-3, and swept last season's series with the Wildcats, 74-60 in San Antonio and 74-70 in Abilene. The Wildcats have not defeated the Cardinals since an 82-68 victory in San Antonio on Feb. 27, 2013.
 
PLAYING FOR A CAUSE
 
Both the UIW and ACU coaching staffs will be wearing sneakers with their suits as part of the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers campaign. In addition, the players will be wearing gold laces in coordination with Lacey's Laces, the 8-year old Michigan State fan, Lacey Holsworth, who befriended star Spartan Adreian Payne in 2013-14. The gold color is symbolic of pediatric cancer. Fans can make a pledge on how many three-pointers UIW will make in the month of February by visiting https://pledgeit.org/cvc-incarnate-word. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.
 
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
 
2016-17 Record: 8-10 (2-5 SLC)
Last Game: L 62-59 at Nicholls (1/19)
Head Coach: Joe Golding (6th season)
Key Players:
#1 Jaren Lewis – 14.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 41 asts, 36 stls, 10 blks
#21 Jalone Friday – 13.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 29 blks, 53.7 FG%, 46.0 3-Pt %
#0 Jaylen Franklin – 10.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 50 asts, 25 stls
Summary: ACU lost at Nicholls, 62-59, despite Jalone Friday's 21 points. On the season, Jaren Lewis is 13th in the SLC with 14.3 points per game, while Friday follows at T-14th with 13.8. Lewis is T-7th with 7.0 rebounds per contest, while Friday is 6th with 1.6 blocks per game. As a team, ACU is 8th in the SLC with a -1.1 scoring margin (68.0-69.1) and 10th with a -4.3 rebounding margin (31.9-36.2).
 
THE CARDINAL FILE
 
2016-17 Record: 8-10 (3-4 SLC)
Last Game: W 70-68 vs. Stephen F. Austin (1/21)
Head Coach: Ken Burmeister (11th season)
Key Players:
#41 Shawn Johnson – 15.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 23 blks, 25 stls, 30 asts, 44.8 3-Pt %
#3 Simi Socks – 14.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 21 asts, 17 stls, 83.5 FT%
#1 Jalin Hart – 14.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 86 asts, 29 stls
Summary: Behind Shawn Johnson and Jorden Kite, UIW earned its biggest victory of the season as the Cardinals upset three-time defending Southland Conference Tournament champion, Stephen F. Austin, 70-68, in front of a crowd of nearly 1,700 in the Convo Center. Johnson had a slow night, but helped when needed the most, hitting two big three-pointers in the final minute, including the game winner with four seconds left in regulation. Kite scored a career-high 18 points on 6-of-8 from beyond the arc, tied for the most in a game by a Cardinal this season (S. Johnson, 6 vs. Rice). Devin Wyatt tied his career high of 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting and 4-for-5 from the charity stripe.
 
On the season, Johnson is T-7th in the SLC with 15.2 points per game and is 5th with 7.2 rebounds per contest. He is 3rd with 2.6 three-pointers made per game. Wyatt is second in the conference with a 57.1 field goal percentage, while Jalin Hart follows with a 50.5 percentage, good for 4th place. Hart is also T-2nd with 4.8 assists per game and T-10th with 1.6 steals per contest. Simi Socks is 3rd with an 83.5 free throw percentage. Wyatt's 2.3 blocked shots per game is good for 3rd in the SLC and T-29th nationally. As a team, the Cardinals are T-9th in the SLC with a -3.4 scoring margin (77.1-80.4) and 11th with a -5.7 rebounding margin (33.9-39.7).
 
UP NEXT
 
UIW plays at Central Arkansas on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 4 p.m.
 
STAY TUNED
 
The Cardinals host McNeese on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in a "Black Out Game" before embarking on a three-game road swing.
 
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics visit uiwcardinals.com. Be sure to follow UIW Athletics on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.