Box Score Box Score
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana junior guard
Trent Hutchin led five Lions in double figures with 18 points and hit four of the Lions' season-high 14 three-point field goals in a dominant 94-48 win over Southern Wednesday night in the University Center.
The Lions (7-2) were dominant on both ends and extended their win streak in the in-state rivalry over the Jaguars (1-9) to five games. Southeastern hit 54.5 percent (36-for-66) from the floor, including 58.3 percent (14-for-24) from the floor.
The 46-point victory was the largest margin of victory for Southeastern in its rivalry versus Southern, besting a 70-49 win on Feb. 6, 1982. The Lions held SU to 27.1 percent (16-for-59) shooting from the floor and the 48-point output was the lowest by a Southeastern opponent this season.
“Tonight was a great turnaround game after the LSU game on Monday,” Southeastern head coach
Jim Yarbrough said. “We left that game very dissatisfied with ourselves and our performance. It wasn't about a win or a loss. It was how we played the game and approached it.
“This was a great redemption game for us,” Yarborough added. “An opportunity to grow and to learn and I'm very proud of our team. The way they responded with a tremendous exclamation point in both halves against a rival in Southern. We wanted to be intense and keep that focus and I thought we responded.”
Hutchin paced a balanced effort for the Lions, as senior center
Patrick Sullivan, sophomore guard
Brandon Fortenberry and junior guard
Rodney Jones added 12 points. Junior guard
Gary Dixon chipped in with 11 points, while senior forward
Robert Tibbs and sophomore wing
Deshawn Patterson fell just short of double figures with nine points each.
Fortenberry posted his first career double-double, as the Picayune, Miss. native dished out a career-high tying 10 assists. The Lions finished with 23 assists in the game. Sullivan led the Lions with seven rebounds and three blocked shots, as Southeastern held an overwhelming 48-30 advantage on the boards.
Southeastern pushed ahead 28-15 with 7:48 remaining in the first half and then kicked into another gear over the next three minutes. A trey by Fortenberry capped a 14-2 run that put the Lions in front, 42-17, with 4:58 left in the opening period. Southern managed to cut the lead to 18 at the break.
The lead would grow to 35 on a three-point field goal by Jones with 8:39 remaining. After Southern lowered the Lion advantage to 30 at 73-43 with 7:49 remaining. From that point, Hutchin was dominant, scoring 12 points in a three-minute span. The junior from Baton Rouge's triple to end the run put Southeastern up, 88-46, with 4:32 left.
The lead grew to as much as 47 and every Lion saw action in the final minutes. Freshman forward
Roosevelt Johnson scored the team's final four points to notch a new career high.
Southeastern will return to action on Saturday, facing Texas Southern at 5 p.m. in Fort Worth, Texas. Saturday's game will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the Internet at www.LionSports.net.
