HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team looks to end its current three-game skid and perhaps even start a winning streak as the three-game homestand ends with contests against Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday and Northwestern State on Monday inside the Pride Roofing University Center.
 
Southeastern (6-11, 1-3 SLC) and Texas A&M-Commerce (6-10, 0-3 SLC) will tip off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday while Monday's game against Northwestern State (4-13, 2-2 SLC) is set to start at 6 p.m. with both contests taking place inside the Pride Roofing University Center. Both contests will be live streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard, thanks to the Southeastern Sports Radio Network, on 90.9 FM The Lion in the Hammond/Ponchatoula area and worldwide at LionSports.net/ListenLive or LionUpRadio.org, or on smart devices through the Lions Gameday Experience app, the TuneIn Radio app, or the MyTuner Radio app. Live stats will also be available at lionsports.net.
 
Saturday's game against A&M-Commerce will also be the David Kiefer Basketball Camp Reunion Game where all of the previous year's campers who took part in Coach Kiefer's Basketball Camps are invited to come watch the Lions play, be part of the run-out tunnel, be recognized at halftime as a camper, and get their favorite Lions players' autographs postgame.
 
The Lions are looking to end the current slide, which reached three games on Monday night as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi rode its best long range shooting night of the season to sneak out of Hammond with a 73-68 decision over SLU.
 
Roger McFarlane led SLU in the contest against the Islanders by scoring 18 points and grabbing eight rebounds. It's the sixth time in seven games where McFarlane has scored in double figures as he hit six of his 10 shots attempts on Monday, which included him hitting three of his four shots from above the three-point arc. He also had two assists.
 
Nick Caldwell also continued to be one of the Lions top options, scoring 16 points to go with a rebound and a steal.
 
Roscoe Eastmond also had one of his better scoring days of the season, pouring in 14 points where three of his four makes in the contest were from deep. He also passed out a team-high six assists.
 
A game after scoring a career high, Alec Woodard continued his scoring ways, putting in 13 points against A&M-Corpus Christi as he hit 50% of his shots and was perfect in four attempts from the free throw line while filling up the box score with six rebounds and three assists.
 
McFarlane and Caldwell remain tied as SLU's top scorer on the season with both averaging 13.5 points per game. Caldwell hits on 53.4% of his shots from the field and 38.1% from above the three-point arc. He also secures 4.8 rebounds a game and rejects 0.6 opposing shots per contest to lead the team in blocks. McFarlane connects on 41% of his shots and 34.5% from deep while leading the Lions in rebounding as well by grabbing 7.7 boards per contest.
 
Woodard's run of scoring over the last few games has brought his points per game average up to 9.2 on 41.7% shooting and 35.2% from three while also leading SLU in steals as he picks up 1.2 thefts per contest.
 
Eastmond continues to raise his assist per game average on the year, now up to 5.4 dimes per contest.
 
SLU averages 67.6 points per game on 42.8% shooting as a team and hits 33.1% from beyond the three-point arc. Lions' opponents average 71.7 points per game and hit 44.6% from the field and 32.9% from distance.
 
Texas A&M-Commerce enjoyed a little bit of unexpected rest before the game against Southeastern as its home contest on Monday against Incarnate Word was postponed due to wintry weather conditions in the area. The Southland's newest pride of Lions are looking to snap a four-game losing streak which has encompassed all three of their previous SLC games on the year, including their last game, a 69-65 home loss to Houston Christian.
 
Kalen Williams was the driving force for the Lions against the Huskies, scoring 28 points to go with four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. He hit 12 of his 19 shot attempts against HCU, including a three-pointer.
 
Kwo Agwa was the only other A&M-Commerce player to score 10 or more points against the Huskies as he came off the bench to put in 12 points, going five-of-eight from the field and made his lone shot attempt from above the three-point arc. He also blocked four shots, grabbed three boards, distributed three assists, and collected a pair of steals.
 
Jerome Brewer, Jr., who is A&M-Commerce's top scorer and rebounder, played just nine minutes and did not score while getting just a single board against HCU. He averages 14.1 points on 52.2% shooting while hitting 29.4% from above the three-point arc and snags 4.6 rebounds per game.
 
Williams is tied with Brewer for team-high honors in scoring average, also putting in 14.1 points each time out. Williams hits 46% from the field and 31.5% from three and is the top distributor for the blue and yellow Lions by averaging 2.9 dimes a contest.
 
Tommie Lewis, who missed Saturday's game at HCU completely, is the lone other A&M-Commerce player averaging double figures in scoring, averaging 10.8 points per game on 45% shooting while hitting 38.6% from three. He secured 4.3 rebounds a game and snatches 1.7 steals per contest to lead his team.
 
Texas A&M-Commerce averages 73.9 points per game and hits 43.8% from the field while hitting 32.1% from three as a team. Their opponents average 74.3 points per game and hit 44.6% overall while also connecting on 33.6% from beyond the arc.
 
Southeastern has won all three previous meetings against A&M-Commerce, including last season's final match-up where a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Matthew Strange forced overtime and then a buzzer-beating jumper by Boogie Anderson at the end of the extra five minutes secured the SLU win.
 
Northwestern State, who SLU faces Monday night, enters the weekend having its first bit of sustained success this season, picking up back-to-back wins for the first time in its last two contests. Its most recent decision was a 69-64 home win over HCU on Monday afternoon as the Demons led by as much as 20 points in the second half and held off a furious Huskies rally for the victory. NSU heads to New Orleans to take on the Privateers on Saturday evening to kick off its weekend of action.
 
Braelon Bush led NSU in the win over HCU with 15 points as his scored on 50% of his shot attempts, also making half of his attempts from deep, while hitting five of his six free throw attempts as well. He also grabbed two rebounds, had two assists, and a steal.
 
Justin Wilson was the only other Demon to score double digits against HCU, hitting five of his six shot attempts and was one of two at the stripe for 11 points while also grabbing seven rebounds. All nine Demons who got on the court against the Huskies scored at least three points in the win while Duane Posey also secured 10 rebounds. Chase Forte, Cliff Davis, and Chris Mubiru all scored nine points apiece against HCU.
 
Davis is the Demons top scorer, averaging 15.3 points per game on 40.5% shooting while hitting 42.1% of his three-point attempts. He also grabs 3.5 rebounds per game.
 
Ryan Forrest averages 11.8 points per game and grabs 2.1 rebounds a contest, but has missed the last six contests for NSU.
 
Bush is the final Demon to average double figures so far in 2023-24, putting in exactly 10 points per game, hitting 40% from the field and 29.4% from three. He's also the team's top distributor, averaging 3.4 assists per contest.
 
Jamison Epps, who also hasn't played in NSU's last six contests, is the team's top rebounder at 6.1 boards per game.
 
The Demons average 70.2 points per game and hit 41.9% from the field and 31.1% from above the three-point arc. NSU's opponents average 79.8 points per game and hit 48.1% of their shot attempts while hitting 33.3% from above the three-point arc.
 
NSU leads the all-time series over SLU 89-57, having swept the season series over the Lions in 2022-23.
 
HARDWOOD CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the basketball program are encouraged to join the Hardwood Club.  Lion alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letterwinners.  All membership fees and donations to Hardwood Club are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern basketball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
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TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern is implementing mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.