HAMMOND -- Thanks to a big second half from their top player, Southeastern Louisiana would not lose at the University Center again in 2003.

Amir Abdur-Rahim scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the second half, including the final eight points of the contest, as the Lions overcame a poor-shooting first half to edge in-state rival Southern, 76- 71, on Saturday.

Abdur-Rahim, an All-Southland Conference selection last season, was 7-of-7 from the foul line and hit four shots from 3-point range to become the first Southeastern player to score 20 or more points in a game this season.

"Amir stepped up in the second half,'' Lions coach Billy Kennedy said. "He made a key 3-pointer and three big free throws down the stretch.''

With Southeastern (3-2) holding a tenuous 68-67 lead with just under two minutes left, Abdur-Rahim calmly stepped to the left corner and drained his final 3-pointer of the contest to extend the Lions' lead to 71-67, their biggest since Southern (2-3) used a 7-0 run to erase a 60-53 lead with 4:57 to go.

Nick Egland's layup following the 3-pointer got the Jaguars back to within 71-69, but Abdur-Rahim hit five free throws in the game's final 1:06 to ice Southeastern's third victory in three home games and series-high third straight win over Southern. The game, the first between the schools located an hour apart in nearly three years, featured 10 ties and 18 lead changes, including six and 15 respectively in the second half.

Southeastern took its largest lead of the game at 52-44 with 10:38 left on a pair of free throws by Terry West, and that lead would hold until Peter Cipriano hit a jumper to tie the game at 60-60.

Southern took the lead on a Treyvean Scott 3-pointer with 3:59 to go, and the game would remain within one point before the Lions took the lead for good at 68-67 on two free throws by West.

"We got the ball down low better in the second half and got to the free throw line,'' Kennedy said. "We were more disciplined in the second half and made some good decisions. Nate Lofton did an outstanding job for us, especially defensively and Michael Gardener played great defense on (SU's leading scorer) Tim Johnson the entire night."

West scored 19 points, including 10-of-11 from the free throw line, as the Lions were 24-of-27 from the charity stripe compared to 5-of-9 for the Jaguars.

Jonathan Patton was the third Lion to score in double figures with 13 points, while Nate Lofton scored eight points and led all players in rebounds (12) and blocked shots (6).

Both teams were cold in the first half. Scott, who led Southern with 17 points, hit a 3-pointer at the 14:37 mark of the first half to pull the Jaguars to within 14-12, and that score held for more than four minutes.

Five Jaguars scored in double figures. Woodlawn product Jerimie Collier scored 12 points, while Jarvis Vaughn, Nick Egland and Cipriano scored 10 each. Johnson, the Jaguar's leading scorer at 15.8 points entering the game, finished 1-for-13 from the floor and finished with four points.

Southern, which plays at Nicholls State on Wednesday before hosting Southeastern on Dec. 15 in Baton Rouge, took an 18-16 lead on a Vaughn jumper with 7:50 left in the first half, and would trail only once more in the opening stanza.

The Lions, who shot 26.9 percent (7-of-26) from the floor in the first half, went nearly 11 minutes without a field goal, finally breaking the drought at the 4:45 mark on a Patton layup.

Southern led 29-27 at halftime, but never extended the lead in the early moments of the second half to more than three.

SOUTHERN (2-3)
Egland 5-12 0-0 10, Cipriano 5-7 0-0 10, Vaughn 5-8 0-0 10, Wardlow 2-6 1-4 6, Johnson 1-13 2-2 4, Anderson 1-1 0-0 2, Scott 6-18 0-0 17, Collier 4-9 2-3 12, Prince 0-0 0-0 0, Price 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-74 5-9 71.

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (3-2)
Abdur-Rahim 6-16 7-7 23, West 4-14 10-11 19, Gardener 1-3 2-2 4, Patton 5-11 0-0 13, Lofton 3-5 2-3 8, Berry 0-0 0-0 0, Walker 1-3 3-4 5, Frey 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 22-55 24-27 76.

Halftime -- Southern 29, Southeastern 27. 3-point goals -- Southern 8-22 (Scott 5-11; Collier 2-5; Wardlow 1-3; Johnson 0-3), Southeastern 8-19 (Abdur-Rahim 4-9; Patton 3-5; West 1-2; Frey 0-1; Gardener 0-2). Fouled out -- Egland. Rebounds -- Southern 41 (Cipriano 8), Southeastern 40 (Lofton 12). Assists -- Southern 17 (Johnson 5), Southeastern 10 (Gardener 7). Total fouls -- Southern 22, Southeastern 15. Technicals -- None. A -- 746.