SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team received encouraging contributions from two players who missed significant playing time because of injuries earlier in the year, but the Cardinals could not hold off Abilene Christian – the Southland Conference's second-place team – which won, 68-48, on Saturday afternoon at the McDermott Center.
 
NOTABLES

• Bryce Davis, a 6-9 freshman center, returned to action after having missed 11 consecutive games because of an injury. He scored nine points, a season and career high, including a perfect 4-4 performance from the free throw line.
• Romello Wilbert, a 6-3 freshman guard who was injured during the team's fourth game of the season and missed the next 12 games, scored a season- and game-high eight points, hit three of four free throw attempts, and blocked 2 shots.
• UIW played a close game for most of the first half, and at one point held the Wildcats scoreless over a period of five minutes and 18 seconds.
• Augustine Ene led the Cardinals with 13 points and eight rebounds. He made six of 10 shots from the floor.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half:

• UIW started Ene, Charles Brown III, Jordan Caruso, Christian Peevy and Cody Graham.
• Two jumpers by Peevy and a layup by Ene gave UIW a 6-4 lead at the 16:40 mark.
• Two three-pointers helped ACU take a 12-8 lead.
• Ene's three pointer cut the ACU lead to 12-11.
• Peevy's free shot at 10:37 tied the score, 12-12.
• Ene's layup at 6:31 closed the gap, making the score ACU 16, UIW 14.
• Brown's three pointer at 3:42 cut the ACU lead to four, 21-17
• Romello Wilbert's two free throws at 1:36 cut the AACU lead to six, 25-19.
• Peevy's two free throws at 0:55 again cut the Wildcat lead to six, 27-21, which was the halftime score.
• Peevy and Ene each had seven points on the halftime box score.

Second Half:

• Ene's layup off of Graham's assist at 19:37 made the score 27-23.
• Caruso's jumper, after an ACU three pointer, made the score 30-25 at 18:51.
• Two buckets and a three pointer gave ACU a 37-25 lead at 16:59
• Ene stole the ball and drove the length of the court for a slam dunk at 15:42.
• By the second media timeout at 11:48, the Wildcats had outscored the Cardinals, 17-6, in the second half and led 44-27.
• Davis and Graham scored consecutive buckets, the latter at 9:54, to cut the Wildcat lead to 13.
• Abilene Christian kept up a steady pace and closed the game with a 20-point advantage.

NEXT UP
UIW plays a return match against Lamar on Wednesday Saturday, Feb. 20, at the McDermott. UIW took Lamar into overtime on Jan. 23 in Beaumont.
 

For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics, visit uiwcardinals.com, follow the Cardinals on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.