HAMMOND – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team begins the final portion of its 2011-12 regular-season schedule on Wednesday when it plays host to Southland Conference foe Texas State in a regionally-televised contest at the University Center.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the internet at www.LionSports.net. The game will also be televised live on the Southland Conference Television Network (WSTY-TV, Charter Cable Channel 22 in Hammond and WBTR-TV Channel 41 in Baton Rouge) and via the internet at www.ESPN3.com.
The game is also “Take A Kid To The Game,” with all children ages 12 and under receiving free admission. Special in-game promotions and activities will be available for all youth who attend.
Opening up its final four-game stretch of the season, Southeastern (10-15, 3-9 SLC) is still looking to secure its ninth straight berth in the Southland Conference Tournament, which begins next month in Katy, Texas.
The Lions, who trail Nicholls State for the eighth and final spot to reach the postseason, open their final run against Texas State (11-15, 3-9 SLC) before traveling to face Central Arkansas (7-18, 2-10 SLC) on Saturday. Southeastern will close out its final week of the regular season hosting McNeese State (15-10, 10-2 SLC) on February 29 before facing Nicholls State (8-17, 4-8 SLC) in the regular-season finale at Stopher Gym.
Southeastern enters Wednesday's game coming off an impressive 64-68 victory over Ohio Valley Conference member UT Martin last Saturday in the Sears Bracketbusters.
Roosevelt Johnson recorded his sixth double-double of the season with a season-high 23 points and a career-high 19 rebounds.
Todd Nelson added a season-high 18 points for the Lions, who built a nine-point lead at halftime and improved to 10-3 at home this season.
Johnson leads Southeastern in scoring at 10.7 points per game while ranking third in the Southland Conference at 7.7 rebounds per contest.
Jeremy Campbell (7.6 ppg.),
Daron Populist (7.5 ppg.),
DeShawn Patterson (5.9) and Nelson (5.6) are next in scoring for the Lions.
Patterson, who is second in the league in steals (1.9) and fifth in assists (3.6), enters Wednesday's contest one steal shy of tying former Lion Hank Washington's school-record of 169 set from 1990-93.
Texas State, the league's top scoring offense at 78.4 points per game, has won its last two games and three of its last four as it makes a push for the postseason. The Bobcats edged host South Dakota, 93-92, in the Sears Bracketbusters on Saturday as Brooks Ybarra scored a career-high 29 points and sank a pair of game-winning free throws with four seconds remaining to help Texas State to its first true road win of the season.
Ybarra ranks ninth in the Southland Conference in scoring at 13.4 points per game with Matt Staff next at 12.3 and a team-high 7.4 rebounds. Travis Jones (8.5), Vonn Jones (7.7), Reid Koenen (6.9) and Wesley Davis (6.9) are next in scoring for the Bobcats.
Southeastern leads the all-time series, 17-15, with Texas State winning both contests in 2010-11. The Bobcats rallied in the second half to defeat Southeastern, 82-69, on Feb. 23, 2011 in San Marcos before edging the Lions, 72-68, on March 9, 2011 in the Southland Conference Tournament.
For ticket information, contact the Southeastern Athletic Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or on-line at www.LionSports.net.
