ABILENE, Texas – Senior forward Jordan Capps led four Lions in double figures as Southeastern held off a late Abilene Christian rally for a 72-70 Southland Conference win in Moody Coliseum Saturday evening.

    Southeastern (9-7, 3-0 Southland) won its third straight game to open Southland play for the first time since the 2004-05 season. The Lions remained tied with New Orleans (7-8, 4-0 Southland) atop the conference standings.

    Capps finished with 16 points and six rebounds. Senior guard Jabbar Singleton hit four 3-pointers in recording 14 points and five assists. Senior guard Joshua Filmore added 13 points while junior guard Marlain Veal had 11 points, six assists and six rebounds. Junior forward Moses Greenwood pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds while contributing eight points. Southeastern shot 52 percent, including a season-best 52.9 percent on 3s, while out-rebounding ACU 37-32.

    Abilene Christian (10-7, 2-2 Southland), which had a two-game win streak snapped, was led by Jaylen Franklin with 18 points. Jaren Lewis added 13 points. Hayden Farquhar contributed seven rebounds. The Wildcats shot 43.9 percent overall, 27.8 percent on 3s. 

    Singleton hit a 3-pointer from the left side with 1:12 left to give Southeastern a 66-59 lead. After two Franklin free throws made it a five-point game with 47 seconds remaining, Singleton broke the press and found Greenwood downcourt for a dunk with 40 seconds left. A pair of Franklin layups cut the margin to 70-67 with 23 seconds remaining. Capps made the first of two free throws for a 71-67 lead but Tevin Foster quickly came down court and hit a 3 from the left corner to make it 71-70 with 17 seconds left.

    Veal missed the front end of a one-and-one with 13 seconds left. ACU got the ball down court but Isaiah Tripp's 3 from the left corner went long with Greenwood grabbing the rebound with .7 seconds left. Greenwood made the second of two free throws before the Lions called timeout. Foster took the inbounds pass but his desperation 3 from the right sidelines was well off the mark as time expired.

    Southeastern shot 50 percent (13-of-26) in taking a 41-32 lead at the break. Abilene Christian pulled to within five as Payten Ricks found Lewis inside with 19:14 remaining. But Capps responded with six straight points, then added a 3 from the left wing to extend the Southeastern lead to 52-40 at the 14:34 mark.

    The Wildcats used a 9-2 run, capped by a pair of Franklin layups, to cut the deficit to 54-49 with 10:27 left. Filmore drained a 3 from the right wing to make it 59-51 with 8:41 remaining. But a Farquhar 3 brought ACU to within 63-57 at the 5:15 mark.

    ACU took a 14-10 lead on a 3-pointer by Jalone Friday with 13:35 left in the first half. Singleton countered with his third 3 to cut the deficit to one. Franklin hit a jumper inside to make it 18-13 with 10:41 remaining. But Filmore scooped in lane to beat the shot clock, then drained a long 3 from left wing to give the Lions a 22-20 lead at the 7:44 mark.

    Filmore and Veal knocked down 3s, senior forward James Currington hooked in a short jumper as the shot clock sounded and Veal drove the lane as Southeastern took a 36-27 lead with 3:53 left in the half.