Box Score KATY, Texas – Playing in his final Southland Conference basketball tournament,
Patrick Sullivan knew what was at stake. A win and the Lions would live to play another day, or a loss and another disappointing first-round exit.
The senior one of two free throws with 2.3 seconds remaining in overtime as Southeastern roared back from a 17-point halftime deficit and stunned fifth-seeded Texas State, 79-78, in the quarterfinals of the 2010 State Farm Southland Conference Tournament on Wednesday at the Merrell Center.
“I knew what was at stake, make it or go home” Sullivan said. “I knew there was no tomorrow and I had to do this. Being a senior, I had to have that poise and focus when I stepped to the line. After missing the first one, it was do or die and the second one had to go.”
The win, which was the first for the Lions in four postseason games dating back to the 2005 Southland Conference championship, helped Southeastern (19-11) to advance to face top-seeded Sam Houston State (23-7) in a semifinal contest at 8:33 p.m. on Thursday. The Bearkats held off eighth-seeded Nicholls State, 62-57, as Ashton Mitchell scored 20 points to lead the regular-season champions.
Thursday's contest can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the internet at www.LionSports.net. The game, which is a rematch from the 2005 semifinal game won by Southeastern in the University Center, will also be televised in the Hammond area on WSTY-TV (Charter Cable Channel 22) and on ESPN360.com.
Southeastern, which was 2-10 when trailing at halftime this season, trailed 70-66 with 2:03 remaining when Cameron Johnson sank an 18-foot jumper.
Gary Dixon hit a 3-pointer that cut the lead to 70-69, and after Johnson responded with another jumper,
Trent Hutchin tied the game at 72-72 with a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
After Johnson rebounded a missed layup by Tony Bishop, the Bobcats called a timeout to set up an eventual game-winning play, but Ryan White lost the ball near midcourt and Sullivan collected the ball after a scramble, giving the Lions a chance to win in regulation.
Sullivan had a chance to give the Lions the win at the buzzer, but his driving layup rolled off the rim, sending the game to overtime.
The Lions led 77-75 with 2:38 left in the extra period after Dixon made one of two free throws before White sank a 3-pointer that put the Bobcats ahead, 78-77, with 2:12 left. But Texas State (15-16) committed two turnovers and missed its last three shots as it never scored again.
A turnover by John Rybak with 24 seconds left gave the Lions the ball with a chance at a final shot. After a timeout, the Lions got the ball to their All-Conference performer, and the 6-foot-9 senior drove the lane and was fouled by Emmanuel Bidias A'Moute as he attempted a layup.
Sullivan, who finished 3-for-6 from the line, missed the first free throw calmly made the second one giving the Lions the lead for good. Rybak found Johnson with a long inbounds pass, but Johnson's shot was off the mark giving the Lions the win.
White and Rybak combined for six 3-pointers in the first half as Texas State built a 41-24 lead. The Bobcats went a blistering 7-for-9 from behind the 3-point arc in the first half and held Southeastern to 9-for-27 from the floor and 2-for-10 from behind the 3-point line in the first half.
“We knew coming into it Texas State was going to be a tough game,” Southeastern head coach Jim Yarbrough said. “I just didn't expect to do it from such a deep hole. We've been climbing and overcoming adversity all year and one way or another we've always found a way to do it and we did it again tonight.”
The Lions began to chip away at the lead in the opening 4:27 of the second half, going on a 15-4 run to cut the lead to 45-39. Southeastern trailed 45-33 after a jumper in the lane by Jonathan Sloan with 16:26 left, but the Lions cut the lead in half as Dixon drained back-to-back 3-pointers in a 38-second span.
Marks, who had eight points and 12 rebounds in the second half, cut the Bobcat lead to 56-54 with a pair of free throws with 8:25 remaining. After Johnson sank two free throws for a 58-55 lead, Sullivan scored the next four points for the Lions with his second bucket giving Southeastern a 59-58 lead – its first since a 3-pointer by
Robert Tibbs 13 seconds into the contest.
Southeastern, which led the league in three shooting categories, found its rhythm in the second half as it went 17-for-29 (59 percent) and 7-for-9 from beyond the arc.
Hutchin led the Lions with 21 points, including five 3-poitners. Sullivan and Dixon added 17 points each for Southeastern while Marks posted a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Johnson led Texas State with 23 points while White added 17. Rybak added 11 points for the Bobcats while Tony Bishop chipped in with 10.
TEXAS STATE (15-16)
Johnson 7-15 9-13 23; White 6-14 0-1 17; Rybak 3-7 2-2 11; Bishop 4-12 2-2 10; Sloan 3-5 0-0 6; Bidias A' Moute 2-8 2-2 6; Segura 2-6 0-0 5; Bowman 0-2 0-0 0; Hale 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-69 15-20 78.
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (19-11)
Hutchin 8-16 0-1 21; Sullivan 7-14 3-6 17; Dixon 6-10 2-4 17; Marks 3-4 4-4 10; Fortenberry 2-11 2-3 6; Tibbs 2-4 0-0 5; Burches 0-0 2-2 2; Patterson 0-1 1-2 1; Ndoumba 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-60 14-22 79.
Halftime – Texas State 41, SLU 24. 3-point goals - Texas State 9-17 (White 5-8; Rybak 3-6; Segura 1-3), SLU 9-20 (Hutchin 5-9; Dixon 3-7; Tibbs 1-1; Fortenberry 0-3). Fouled out - Patterson. Rebounds - Texas State 49 (Bidias A' Moute 9), SLU 31 (Marks 14). Assists - Texas State 12 (White 4), SLU 15 (Marks 7). Total fouls - Texas State 18, SLU 24. Technical fouls - None. A – 1,437.
