HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana head coach Jay Ladner often talks about having the next player step up when a teammate goes down.
 
    The Lions, with four potential starters out with injuries, showed that resiliency Wednesday night.
 
    Southeastern had five players in double figures, led by guard Marlain Veal's 22, as the Lions extended their home winning streak to nine games with an 84-71 win over Jackson State in the University Center.
 
    "We lost a tough game against Tulane (93-76) on Monday that really wasn't indicative of the score," Ladner said. "We were disappointed that we lost and we talked about what a good team does. This game may not resound nationally and it may not be a 'signature win' but I can tell you it's a signature win and it's a signature win because of the circumstances. You saw five Southeastern players, four of them potential starters, that are out. These guys put a lot of hard work in, a lot of effort, and have a lot of times been dealt a tough hand, but have never made excuses. It was just a game on the schedule for most people, but a big game in terms of our season and a big win for us."
 
    Veal, who added a game-high six assists and two steals, scored in double figures for the third straight game to start the season for Southeastern (2-1). Senior center Dominic Nelson had his first career double-double with career highs of 13 points and 12 rebounds. Junior guards Jabbar Singleton and Eddy Polanco also had career highs with 15 and 12 points, respectively with Singleton contributing four assists. Sophomore forward Moses Greenwood added 16 points while junior guard Davon Hayes had nine rebounds.
 
    Southeastern shot 58 percent from the field, including 53.3 percent on 3s, and 75 percent from the line. The Lions finished with 18 assists and 18 turnovers while out-rebounding Jackson State 36-27.
 
    "Eighteen turnovers against Jackson State trapping and playing a lot of unorthodox defense, I thought we did a pretty good job," Ladner said. "We made a few mistakes but I also thought, because of our preparation yesterday, we made them pay a lot."
 
    Jackson State (1-1) had four players in double figures, led by Yettra Specks with 19. Edric Dennis had 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Chace Franklin contributed 12 points and Janarius Middleton 10. The Tigers shot 40.6 percent from the field, 34.8 on 3s and 84.6 from the line.
 
    Southeastern took a 38-29 lead into the half, then opened the second half on a 12-4 run. Singleton knocked down a 3 from the right wing and Veal fed a Greenwood layup before taking a steal in himself for a 50-33 lead at the 16:01 mark.
 
    Singleton squeezed in a pass to Greenwood for a three-point play to give Southeastern a 53-35 lead with 14:18 left. But Dennis started a 12-3 run for Jackson State with a 3 on the ensuing possession. Middleton hit a jumper in the paint and Franklin drilled a 3 from the top of the key to cut the Lions' lead to 56-47 at the 11:24 mark.
 
    Southeastern countered with an 11-0 run, highlighted by a pair of 3s by Polanco, to take a 67-47 lead with 8:33 remaining. Jackson State refused to go away, using a 9-0 run to get to within 67-56 on a 3 by Dennis with 5:52 left. Singleton answered with a 3 from the left side, then found Veal driving the lane to go back up 73-58 with 4:31 remaining.
 
    The Tigers pulled to within 10 on a 3 by Specks with 3:22 left. But a pair of baskets by Greenwood helped the Lions stave off the Jackson State comeback.
 
    Southeastern got out to a 9-5 lead with 17:42 left in the half as Veal drove in off a steal by Singleton. Jackson State responded with a 7-0 run, with Franklin taking a steal in to make it 12-9 at the 15:38 mark. Singleton tied it with a 3, then put the Lions back ahead, 15-12, with a 3 from the left wing with 14:57 left.
 
    After Jackson State took an 18-17 lead when Paris Collins fed Demterice Clopton for a dunk at the 12:19 mark, Southeastern went on a 7-0 run. Veal drained a 3, Hayes scored off a putback and Polanco added a layup to give the Lions a 24-18 lead with 9:34 remaining.
 
    A Middleton jumper cut the deficit to 24-23 with 7:25 remaining. Greenwood and Veal answered with a pair of free throws each to push the lead back to 28-23 at the 6:13 mark. Collins made it 28-27 with a jumper, but Nelson dunked in a putback, then hit two free throws for a 32-27 lead with 3:31 left. After a Nelson tip-in, Veal spun in the lane before the buzzer to give the Lions a 38-29 halftime lead.
 
    Veal had 11 points and Singleton nine as Southeastern shot 54.2 percent from the field in the half. Nelson had six rebounds. Specks had six points for Jackson State which was limited to 35.3 percent shooting.
 
    Southeastern will close out its two-game homestand Monday against Xavier-Louisiana at 7 p.m. in the University Center. The game will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), online at www.LionSports.net/listenlive and via the TuneIn Radio app. LionVision subscribers will be able to access a live video stream of Wednesday's doubleheader at www.LionSports.net/watch. Live stats will also be available at www.LionSports.net.