Box Score
HAMMOND – Roosevelt Johnson scored a season-high 24 points and led three players in double figures as Southeastern Louisiana used stellar defense to defeat in-state rival McNeese State, 64-57, in a Southland Conference game Wednesday at the University Center.
Todd Nelson added 15 points for Southeastern (11-17, 4-11 SLC), which held McNeese State (15-13, 10-5 SLC) scoreless for nearly nine minutes and used an 11-2 run to break a 21-21 deadlock and never trail again.
Elgin Bailey, who transferred to Southeastern after three years at Mississippi State, added 10 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds in his final home game as a Lion.
Bailey, who finished 4-for-10 from the floor, joined fellow senior
DeShawn Patterson in the starting lineup and helped Southeastern finish 11-4 at home. Patterson, playing in his 118th career game to tie former Lion
David Ndoumba for second-place in school history, scored five points and dished out four assists while adding a steal to increase his school-record total to 175.
A basket by McNeese State's Daniel Richard with 9:15 remaining tied the game at 21-21 before both teams went scoreless for nearly four minutes. The Lions would take the lead for good, 23-21, when Patterson scored on a driving layup with 5:29 remaining in the first half.
A putback by Johnson off a missed 3-pointer by Nelson gave Southeastern a 25-21 lead before Johnson scored on a jumper to put the Lions ahead, 27-21, with 2:54 remaining in the half. Bailey added a bucket for the Lions before a 3-pointer by Nelson with 1:07 left gave Southeastern a 32-21 lead.
A steal and layup by Johnson, who finished 10-for-12 from the floor, gave Southeastern its biggest lead of the game at 39-24 before McNeese State fought back. The Cowboys used an 8-0 run that started on a putback by freshman Desharick Guidry at the 15:30 mark.
Guidry, who finished with 12 points, added two more baskets before freshman Kevin Hardy scored on a jumper in the lane to get the Cowboys to within 45-38 with 11:19 remaining in the game.
The Lions rebuilt their lead to 15 points as a jumper by Johnson gave Southeastern a 57-42 lead with 6:11 left. McNeese State, which dropped its third straight game and moved into a tie with Lamar for the overall lead in the East Division, chipped away at the lead, getting as close as 62-57 on a 3-pointer by Patrick Richard with nine seconds left.
Patrick Richard, the Southland Conference's leading scorer, led McNeese State with 18 points and a team-high eight rebounds. The Cowboys were stymied by a Southeastern defense that limited them to 21-for-59 (35.6 percent) from the floor while committing 14 turnovers.
Southeastern finished 24-for-51 (47.1 percent) from the floor and 13-for-19 from the free throw line. Johnson added three blocked shots for the Lions, who recorded five in the game.
MCNEESE STATE (15-13, 10-5 SLC)
P. Richard 5-17 6-7 18; Guidry 6-9 0-0 12; Mitchell 2-6 2-2 8; Cannon 3-12 0-0 7; D. Richard 2-6 0-0 4; Fields 1-4 1-2 4; Hardy 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 21-59 9-11 57.
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (11-17, 4-11 SLC)
Johnson 10-12 4-6 24; Nelson 5-11 2-2 15; Bailey 4-10 2-2 10; Patterson 2-3 1-2 5; Campbell 1-4 2-3 4; Benton 1-4 1-2 3; Petrovcic 1-1 0-0 2; Populist 0-6 1-2 1. Totals 24-51 13-19 64.
Halftime – SLU 32, McNeese State 23. 3-point goals - McNeese State 6-15 (Mitchell 2-5; P. Richard 2-6; Cannon 1-1; Fields 1-2; Hardy 0-1), SLU 3-9 (Nelson 3-7; Patterson 0-1; Populist 0-1). Fouled out - Cannon. Rebounds - McNeese State 38 (P. Richard 8), SLU 32 (Bailey 8). Assists - McNeese State 12 (Three with 3), SLU 12 (Patterson 3). Total Fouls - McNeese State 15, SLU 9. Technical fouls – McNeese State - None. A – 1,019.
