Box Score
HAMMOND – Jeremy Campbell and
Elgin Bailey combined to score 31 of their 35 points after halftime and Southeastern Louisiana rallied from a 16-point deficit in the first half to force overtime and defeat Central Arkansas, 75-71, in a Southland Conference game Wednesday at the University Center.
Roosevelt Johnson posted his fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds for Southeastern (8-10, 2-4 SLC) while
Daron Populist added 10. The Lions, who trailed 30-14 with 3:12 left in the first half, closed out the half on a 9-0 run before 15-for-21 (71.4 percent) from the floor in the final 25 minutes.
Bailey, who tied a career-high with 16 points, went 7-for-10 from the floor and sent the game to overtime at 63-63 when he tipped in a Populist miss with 1.8 seconds left.
In the extra period, Bailey gave Southeastern a 65-63 lead before Campbell, who scored a career-high 19 points on 6-for-11 aim, added a three-point play as he drove the lane for a dunk and was fouled by Robert Crawford with 3:29 left for a 68-63 lead.
UCA (7-11, 2-4 SLC), which was looking for its first-ever win in Hammond in five attempts, eventually tied the game at 69-69 on a basket by LaQuentin Miles before
Antonnio Benton answered for the Lions with a 3-pointer from the left wing with 55.5 left.
The Bears got a close as 72-71 as Mark Rutledge drove the lane and scored, but a pair of free throws by Populist and one by Benton sealed the win for Southeastern.
UCA used an 18-6 run to open the game that was capped by a pair of free throws by Jordan Harks at the 11:23 mark. The Bears led 30-14 when Miles, who scored a game-high 26 points on 12 of 18 shooting, scored on a jumper in the lane with 3:12 remaining before the Bears went scoreless the rest of half but maintained a 30-23 lead at the break.
A 3-pointer by Populist, who went 3-for-6 from the floor with two from beyond the arc, tied the game at 55-55 with 4:57 remaining before the Lions took a 58-57 lead as Campbell drained a free throw with 3:23 left.
After Jarvis Garner hit a free throw that tied the game at 58-58, Miles converted a three-point play and eventually added a layup for a 63-59 lead at the 1:26 mark. Campbell cut the lead to 63-61 on a jumper with 22 seconds left before
DeShawn Patterson forced a turnover on the ensuing inbounds to give the Lions an opportunity to force the extra period.
UCA finished 29-for-57 (50.9 percent) from the floor and held a 33-31 advantage on the glass. The Bears went 11-for-20 from the free throw line, including 5-for-14 in the second half while Southeastern was 21-for-33 for the game and 20-for-31 after halftime.
Patterson, who tied a career-high with five steals, dished out 10 assists in a career-high 41 minutes for Southeastern.
Southeastern will return to action on Saturday when it travels to face Northwestern State in a 2 p.m. contest at Prather Coliseum.
