Box Score LAKE CHARLES – True freshman
Jeremy Campbell scored a season-high eight points, including the eventual go-ahead bucket with 6:53 remaining, as Southeastern Louisiana fought off a McNeese State rally and defeated the Cowboys, 81-74, in a Southland Conference basketball game Wednesday at Burton Coliseum.
David Ndoumba scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season, while
Brandon Fortenberry added 24 to lead Southeastern (14-13, 8-7 SLC) to its second straight win while sending McNeese State (18-10, 10-5 SLC) to its first loss at home in 15 games in 2010-11.
The win by Southeastern inched the Lions closer to their eighth straight berth in the 2011 State Farm Southland Conference Basketball Tournament that begins March 9 in Katy, Texas. Southeastern closes out the regular season on Saturday in the University Center against arch-rival Nicholls (14-12, 8-7 SLC) in a noon tipoff that will be televised on the Southland Conference Television Network.
Southeastern led 35-28 at halftime and pushed its lead to 43-30 on a layup by Fortenberry with 17:46 remaining. McNeese State rallied as it went on an 18-4 run and held Southeastern without a field goal for nearly six minutes that turned a 48-37 deficit into a 55-52 lead on a bucket by C.J. Collins with 9:52 remaining.
A bucket by P.J. Alawoya gave the Cowboys a 59-56 lead with 8:11 to play, but Southeastern put the game away with a 14-2 run over the next 5:27.
Campbell, averaging 1.2 points and six minutes per game, made his first bucket with 8:34 remaining in the game that got Southeastern to within 57-56.
After a layup by Alawoya countered with a dunk by Ndoumba, Campbell scored off a steal that gave Southeastern a 60-59 lead it would not relinquish. Campbell, who finished 3-for-3 from the floor in 10 minutes of action, added his final bucket with 4:18 left for a 67-61 lead before sinking a pair of free throws with 21.9 seconds left to help seal the win.
Trent Hutchin added 10 points for Southeastern while
Gary Dixon added eight. The Lions shot 26-for-57 from the floor and were 24-for-29 from the free throw line.
Patrick Richard led McNeese State with 21 points while Alawoya added 14 points and 18 rebounds. Collins added 17 points for the East Division-leading Cowboys, who missed a chance to clinch at least a share of the overall title after West Division leader Texas State fell at Lamar, 113-102.
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (14-13, 8-7 SLC)
Fortenberry 9-15 5-5 24; Ndoumba 7-12 10-14 24; Hutchin 3-7 2-2 10; Dixon 2-7 2-2 8; Campbell 3-3 2-2 8; Patterson 1-5 3-4 5; Marks 1-1 0-0 2; Benton 0-3 0-0 0; Harrel 0-0 0-0 0; Johnson 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 26-57 24-29 81.
MCNEESE STATE (18-10, 10-5 SLC)
Richard 7-15 6-12 21; Collins 6-13 2-2 17; Alawoya 7-7 0-1 14; Kapelan 2-9 3-4 7; Martin 3-10 1-2 7; Cannon 2-5 0-0 4; Konate 0-0 2-2 2; David 1-2 0-0 2; Richard 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-62 14-23 74.
Halftime – SLU 35, McNeese State 28. 3-point goals – SLU 5-16 (Dixon 2-6; Hutchin 2-4; Fortenberry 1-5; Benton 0-1), McNeese State 4-18 (Collins 3-7; P. Richard 1-3; Kapelan 0-5; Martin 0-3). Fouled out - Patterson. Rebounds – SLU 37 (Ndoumba 10), McNeese State 36 (Alawoya 18). Assists – SLU 11 (Patterson 4), McNeese State 12 (Collins 5). Total fouls – SLU 20, McNeese State 20. Technical fouls - None. A – 1,375.
