PUERTO AVENTURAS, Mexico – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team got the first 20-point game of
Jeremy Elyzee's collegiate career while the team also broke the Cancun Challenge record with 15 steals, but it wasn't enough in a 73-69 loss to the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs Tuesday at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.
The Lions (2-4) finished the game shooting at a 43.8 percent clip, but had a tough time from deep, hitting four of 18 from deep at a 22.2 percent clip. 48 of SLU's points came in the point with 24 coming off of 23 Gardner-Webb turnovers. Southeastern's 15 steals broke the Cancun Challenge single game record and was the second straight game with at least 10 steals
The Runnin' Bulldogs (3-3) hit 51.9 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from three, hitting six of 19 from deep. Gardner-Webb turned 16 Southeastern turnovers into 17 points while scoring 44 in the paint. SLU also outscored GWU in second chance opportunities, 16-11.
Elyzee's 22 points came as he hit 10 of his 12 shot attempts in the contest, including his only three-point attempt. The freshman from Hialeah, Fla. also secured four rebounds, came up with three steals, blocked two shots, and had an assist.
Sam Hines, Jr. filled the box with 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists, four steals, and a block. His rebound, assist, and steal numbers led the team in the contest.
Jakevion Buckley went four-of-10 from the field to finish with 11 points while getting four rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Brody Rowbury was the last player in double-figures in scoring with 10 points as he went four-of-seven from the field with three rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
After forcing a turnover by Gardner-Webb on the game's opening possession, Elyzee started his scoring barrage with a lay-up. Southeastern quickly doubled the 2-0 lead to 4-0 as Buckley stole the inbounds pass and scored on a lay-up.
But GWU scored 15 of the next 19 points to open a seven-point advantage at 15-8. After trading scores over the next few minutes, the Runnin' Bulldogs grabbed the game's largest lead at eight points for the first time at 21-13 with less than 13 minutes left in the opening period. The two teams traded buckets again to make it 23-15 Gardner-Webb with 11 minutes left in the period as the Runnin' Bulldogs matched their largest lead for the final time.
A jumper in the lane by Elyzee started a 10-0 Lions run as Elyzee found Rowbury under the bucket for a lay-up which gave Southeastern the lead ack at 25-23 with just less than 8:30 remaining before halftime.
The two teams traded buckets until Gardner-Webb took a 34-33 lead with 3:30 to go. SLU scored four-straight with Paez getting a lay-up to fall and then Hines, Jr. blocked a shot on one end and Paez rewarded him on the other with the ball for a transition dunk which gave the Lions a 37-34 lead with 1:45 before the break. SLU led 37-36 at halftime.
Elyzee got Southeastern's second half scoring started with a dunk to give the Lions the lead back at 39-37 after Gardner-Webb began the half with a free throw. That dunk started a 9-2 SLU run which gave the Lions their largest lead of the contest at 46-39 with 15 minutes left as Rowbury got to the rim again for another lay-up.
SLU matched that lead twice more, once following a three-pointer by
Kyle Edison which made it 49-42 with 14:15 left, and then another Elyzee pun-back dunk followed a Gardner-Webb bucket to make the score 51-44 with 13:15 to go.
Over the next six minutes, GWU slowly chipped into the Southeastern lead until the Runnin' Bulldogs got ahead on a three-pointer with seven minutes left, taking a 57-56 lead. That would be the first of six lead changes over the final seven minutes.
SLU took the lead back with just over a minute remaining as Elyzee put back in a missed lay-up by Edison, putting the Lions up 69-68. But that lead would not hold as the Runnin' Bulldogs hit a three-pointer on their ensuing possession as GWU scored the game's final five points for final margin.
Southeastern ends its Cancun Challenge schedule on Wednesday against the North Dakota in the Mayan Division consolation game. Tip-time of Wednesday's contest against the Fighting Hawks (3-3) is set for 11:30 a.m. CST at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya just outside of Cancun in Puerto Averturas, Mexico.
The game will be televised on FloCollege with a radio broadcast also available, thanks to the Southeastern Sports Radio Network, on 90.9 FM The Lion in the Hammond/Ponchatoula area and worldwide on LionSports.net/ListenLive or LionUpRadio.org, or you can listen to the game on smart devices through the Lions Gameday Experience app, the TuneIn Radio app, or the MyTuner Radio app. Live stats will also be available through the Cancun Challenge website.
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.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Basketball, follow @LionUpMBB and @DavidKieferSLU on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
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.
