Box Score
BEAUMONT, Texas – Brandon Fortenberry converted on a go-ahead three-point play with 39.4 seconds remaining and Southeastern Louisiana won its first game of the season with a 67-63 victory against Lamar on Monday at the Montagne Center.
Dre Evans scored a season-high 20 points, including a pair of free throws to seal the win for Southeastern (4-9, 2-1 SLC), which built a 15-point lead in the first half and rallied late to earn its third victory in its last four games. Lamar, which claimed last year's Southland Conference Tournament title, fell to 2-13 overall and 0-3 in league play.
Southeastern led 50-40 after
Jeffery Ricard sank a pair of free throws with 11:45 remaining before Lamar mounted a comeback. Keilan Blanks scored five straight points for the Cardinals with a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer before Stan Brown converted on a short jumper with 8:58 remaining cut Southeastern's lead to 50-47.
A jumper by Amos Wilson with 5:16 left gave Lamar a 57-56 lead – its first of the game since a bucket by D.J. Muepo in the opening minute. The Cardinals took their biggest lead of the game, 61-58, on two free throws by Blanks at the 3:22 mark before jumpers by Evans and
Roosevelt Johnson gave the Lions a 62-61 advantage heading into the final minute.
Lamar regained the lead when a jumper in the lane by Rhon Mitchell with 59 seconds left put the Cardinals ahead, 63-62, before Fortenberry responded for the Lions when he worked off a screen, drove the lane and scored his eventual game-winner for a 65-63 lead.
The Cardinals had two chances to regain the lead in the final 20 seconds but committed a turnover and a missed a short jumper. A turnover by Blanks with 18 seconds left gave Southeastern the ball, but the Lions gave it back with a turnover, giving Lamar one last opportunity to send the game to overtime.
Donley Minor had a chance to tie the game with a short jumper, but his shot missed and Evans grabbed the rebound and iced the game with a pair of free throws with 0.3 seconds left.
Johnson added 15 points for Southeastern, which finished 26-for-55 (47.3 percent) from the floor. Fortenberry added 11 points for Southeastern, which earned its second win in its last three trips to Lamar.
Antonnio Benton and
Roger Woods grabbed seven rebounds each to lead Southeastern while Fortenberry dished out three assists and recorded three steals.
Blanks and Mitchell each came off the bench to score 14 points to lead Lamar, which finished 24-for-65 (36.9 percent) from the floor and held a 44-32 rebounding advantage. Amos Wilson scored 12 points for the Cardinals while Mitchell grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
Southeastern will return to action on Saturday when it plays host to arch-rival Nicholls State in the nightcap of a doubleheader. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will follow the Southeastern-Nicholls State which will start at 2.
