Lutz, Incarnate Word visit ACU
Incarnate Word (5-15, 2-7) vs. Abilene Christian (11-9, 6-3)
Moody Coliseum, Abilene, Texas; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Two guards will be on display as Drew Lutz and Incarnate Word will take on Payten Ricks and Abilene Christian. The freshman Lutz is averaging 16 points over the last five games. Ricks, a senior, is averaging 12.4 points over the last five games.
FEARLESS FRESHMEN: Incarnate Word’s Lutz, Keaston Willis and Vincent Miszkiewicz have combined to account for 47 percent of the team’s scoring this season, including 71 percent of all Cardinals points over the last five games.
TAKE IT UP A NOTCH: The Wildcats have scored 73.9 points per game across nine conference games, an improvement from the 65.1 per game they managed in non-conference play.DOMINANT DREW: Lutz has connected on 31.4 percent of the 86 3-pointers he’s attempted and has gone 8 for 20 over the last three games. He’s also converted 87.3 percent of his free throws this season.
WINLESS WHEN: The Wildcats are 0-6 when they allow at least 72 points and 11-3 when they hold opponents to anything under 72 points. The Cardinals are 0-13 when they score 66 points or fewer and 5-2 when they exceed 66.
ACCOUNTING FOR ASSISTS: The Wildcats have recently converted buckets via assists more often than the Cardinals. Abilene Christian has 39 assists on 65 field goals (60 percent) across its previous three outings while Incarnate Word has assists on 37 of 73 field goals (50.7 percent) during its past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: The Abilene Christian defense has forced opponents into turnovers on an impressive 29.2 percent of all possessions, which is the second-highest rate in the country. The Incarnate Word offense has turned the ball over on 21.4 percent of its possessions (ranked 305th among Division I teams).