Both Wildcat basketball teams looking to defy odds

Let me begin by saying that today was my fourth drive to Canyon in the past two months, and the road didn't get anymore interesting. However, once you get here, it's great to be in the pure college sports atmosphere that West Texas A&M continues to produce from event to event.

This is my third trip in the past five seasons to WT's First United Bank Center. It's a state of the art facility that seats 4,800. Grant Boone and I arrived an hour early to a parking lot that already had dozens of cars in it with people inside preparing for the "event" that is West Texas A&M basketball.

The FUBC, well frankly playing West Texas A&M either in Abilene or in Canyon has not proved to be Abilene Christian's favorite place to play in. Neither the Buffs or the Lady Buffs have lost to ACU on its home floor since the building opened for play in the 2003-04 season.

In fact, the WT men have an 18-game winning streak against ACU. The last time the Wildcat men defeated the Buffs was in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 1999. It took ACU three overtimes to win that night in a 102-96 win with current ACU athletic director Jared Mosley then helping the Wildcats to its only NCAA Elite 8 Appearance.

The women snapped an eight-game skid last year to the nationally-ranked Lady Buffs in Abilene (but at McMurry University) on Feb. 7. However, ACU is 3-15 in its last 18 matchups. Head coach Shawna Lavender took over ACU's program with six games remaining in the 2002-03 season, and the first time she faced WTAMU, she watched the Wildcats defeat the Lady Buffs. However, aside from that game and last year's overtime victory, Lavender is 2-9 against the national power.

Both teams will get an opportunity to change its fortunes. The ACU men enter with a 7-7 overall record and a 1-0 mark in the LSC South Division while the Buffs are 10-5 and tonight marks their first LSC South Division game. The ACU women enter with a 9-6 record overall and a 1-0 mark in league play while the Lady Buffs are ranked No. 14 in the nation, carry a 12-3 overall record, and open LSC South play tonight.

Both ACU teams took wins over Eastern New Mexico at Moody Coliseum Tuesday night to begin 1-0 in conference.