NATCHITOCHES – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team returns to action on Saturday when it travels to play in-state rival and Southland Conference East Division leader Northwestern State in a 2 p.m. contest at Prather Coliseum.
The game can be heard, courtesy of the Demon Sports Network, on the internet at www.LionSports.net.
Southeastern (11-10, 5-4 Southland) improved to 7-0 at home after a 79-73 win over UTSA on Wednesday.
Brandon Fortenberry scored a career-high tying 22 points and added a career-best 10 rebounds in helping Southeastern win its third game in its last four contests.
Fortenberry nearly recorded his first –and the school's second – career triple double as he finished with nine assists. Southeastern trailed 38-35 at halftime before outscoring UTSA, 44-35, in the second half.
Trent Hutchin added 21 points for Southeastern while
Roosevelt Johnson added 12 points off the bench in helping the Lions to the win.
Hutchin leads Southeastern in scoring at 16.6 points per game with Fortenberry (10.9) and
David Ndoumba (10.1) the other Lions averaging in double figures.
Gary Dixon (9.1),
Deshawn Patterson (6.2), Johnson (5.8),
Rodney Jones (5.3) and
Jason Marks (5.0) are next in scoring for Southeastern, which averages 71.2 points per game while allowing 70.3.
Northwestern State (15-10, 7-3 Southland) has won its last four games, including a 70-68 victory over Lamar on Thursday after rallying from a 20-2 first-half deficit. Will Pratt scored 21 points to lead the Demons while William Mosley added 16 points and eight rebounds.
Pratt, who scored 31 points in a 93-84 loss to the Lions on Jan. 29, leads Northwestern State in scoring at 18.0 points per game followed by Devon Baker at 15.2. Louis Ellis (8.0), William Mosley (7.7), Shamir Davis (7.0) and James Hulbin (6.4) are next in scoring for the Demons, who average 77.7 points per game while allowing 78.0.
Mosley, the team's leading rebounder at 8.5 per contest, leads the nation with 123 blocked shots (4.9 per game).
Southeastern has won the last five meetings in the series, including the last two in Natchitoches for its first regular-season wins at Prather Coliseum since 1984.
After facing Northwestern State, the Lions will return home for games against Lamar (Feb. 16) and UT Arlington (Feb. 19).
