Junior guard Philip Brooks scored a game-high 21 points to lead the ACU Wildcats to a 76-61 victory over Dallas Baptist Monday night in a non-conference match at Moody Coliseum.
The Wildcats held a slim four-point advantage, 60-56, with 7:49 to play before senior guard Norman Alexander hit a 3-pointer, which ignited a quick 9-2 run for ACU over the next three minutes. That run increased the Wildcat’s lead to 11 points, 69-58, with only 4:30 remaining in regulation.
From there, ACU played stingy defense and converted free-throw shots, which allowed the Wildcats to finish the game on a 7-3 run to ensure the victory.
It was the Patriots who got off to a strong start in the first half as they converted on their first three shots and jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in the first two minutes.
Brooks ended the ACU scoring drought when he converted on a 3-pointer from the baseline. That shot seemed to get things rolling for the Wildcats as their defense picked up and they had consistent success on the offensive end for the rest of the half. ACU went into halftime with a 39-31 advantage.
The win improves the Wildcats’ record to 5-1 on the year. Meanwhile, the loss drops Dallas Baptist to 2-3.
Brooks finished the game making 7 of 11 of his shots from the floor, including 2 of 3 from behind the arc. He also made all five of his free-throw shots and led the Wildcats with five rebounds and five assists.
ACU senior guard Tiago Souza came off the bench to finish the game with 12 points, including two clutch 3-pointers in the second half. The only other double-digit performer for the Wildcats was Alexander, as he finished with 11 points.