STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team closed out its four game road stretch just short, suffering a 75-68 loss to Mississippi State Saturday afternoon inside the Humphrey Coliseum.
Southeastern (0-4) dropped its third consecutive game within ten points on the road as Mississippi State (2-1) persevered to secure the victory. Sophomore Jeremy Elyzee delivered a standout performance to lead the Lions with a season-high 19 points, three assists and three steals. Elyzee also led SLU on the glass with seven rebounds as Jalen Forrest stepped up with a season-high 16 points, five assists and four rebounds.
SLU came out the gate poised and aggressive, capitalizing on turnovers and fast-break opportunities to set the tempo in the opening of the first half. Jaiden Lawrence (nine points) stepped up first for the Lions with a three-point dagger alongside aggressive attacks from Elyzee and Forrest, providing a spark of early momentum. Southeastern gained its largest lead of the afternoon with a 19-13 advantage midway through the first half.
The Lions found their offensive rhythm applying pressure to Mississippi State's defense as they finished the first half shooting 9-9 from the free-throw line. CJ Booker and Ethan Pickett contributed timely baskets, while SLU's bench chipped in 12 first-half points.
Mississippi State responded with a crucial 9-0 scoring run midway through the half, fueled by guard Shawn Jones Jr. (17 points). The Bulldogs closed the first half with another late push, sparked by King Grace with eight points in the final two minutes. Mississippi State fought to reclaim control as it built a 40-35 halftime edge over the visitors.
The Bulldogs returned from the halftime break hot from beyond the arc, pushing their lead to 48-38 in the opening minutes of the second half. Mississippi State worked to extend its lead to 17-points, 67-50, late in the second half as Jones Jr. and Josh Hubbard (15 points) carried the Bulldogs.
Southeastern refused to fold as it responded with a resilient 10-0 scoring run sparked by back-to-back layups from Forrest and Isaiah Gaines (eight points). The Lions' defensive pressure created several late-game turnovers, allowing SLU to trim the deficit to just six points multiple times in the closing minutes.
Elyzee's tip-in with under two minutes remaining brought the Lions within reach, followed by another transition layup, 72-66. Mississippi State battled to hold its lead as it converted at the free-throw line while forcing key stops in the final possessions to close out with the win.
Southeastern finished the afternoon shooting 36.0 percent from the field and 88.9 from the charity stripe. SLU's bench contributed 27 points as the Lions forced the Bulldogs into 20 turnovers. The Lions dominated with a 26-8 advantage in points off turnovers while claiming 34 points in the paint. Mississippi State secured the victory as it posted nine three-pointers throughout the contest to defend its home court.
SLU will return to Hammond, America to welcome William Carey to the University Center Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. Wednesday's game against the Knights will be streamed on ESPN+.
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.
