ABILENE, Texas, -- A trio of University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball Cardinals scored in double figures, but a short-handed UIW team could not bring down Abilene Christian in an 85-60 loss to wrap up regular-season action.
Sophomore Drew Lutz led UIW with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting and 3-for-7 from 3-point range. Sophomore Bradley Akhile and freshman Charlie Yoder each added 10 points and freshman Josh Morgan converted on 3-of-4 shots from 3-point range to finish with nine points for the black and red.
After a slow start had both teams tied at four apiece, ACU rattled off a 23-7 run over 10 minutes of play before Akhile made a driving layup at 7:51 to stop the run.
In a day points were hard to come by for the Cardinals, Yoder answered with the next four points for UIW to get back within eight of the Wildcats, 25-17, with 6:13 left in the first half. Lutz added a trey as UIW made a push to get within striking distance of ACU before the half. The Wildcats continued a 17-10 run over five minutes of play to hold a 44-30 lead at the break.
The Wildcats did not slow down in the second half with a 13-6 run in the first five minutes before Kenyon Holcombe cashed in with his first career 3-pointer to start a string of four-straight UIW 3s from Lutz, Akhlie and Holcombe's second, but ACU continued to build a 20-point (62-42) cushion with 11:09 to play.
ACU played to their strengths in the season-finale forcing 19 turnovers and scoring 28 points off those extra possessions and limiting UIW to just 36% (19-of-53) shooting on the afternoon.
Kolton Kohl led the way with 14 points, Tyler Cameron added 13 and Joe Pleasant scored 11 as 11 different Wildcats got in the scoring action for ACU.
LOOKING AHEAD
The trip to the 2021 Hercules Tires Southland Basketball Tournament at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, marks the first time in program history the UIW men's team will play in the Southland Conference postseason tournament since joining the league in the 2013-14 season.
The Cardinals (8-13, 5-9 SLC) begin their championship quest in the first game to tipoff the men's tournament on Tuesday night, March 9.
Championship tickets can be purchased HERE.
For more information on the Southland Conference Basketball Tournament visit www.southland.org.
FOLLOW ALONG
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