HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team earned its first home win of the 2025-26 season Wednesday night, overpowering William Carey in a dominant 71-45 victory in the University Center.
Southeastern (1-4) put together its most complete performance of the season on both ends of the floor, shooting 48.3 percent from the field while holding off William Carey (6-0) to defend its home court. SLU controlled the game with a commanding performance to post a 42-24 scoring advantage in paint points and 45-26 rebounding edge.
Pacific transfer Seth Jones claimed a season-high 14 points and four steals to lead all scorers. Jones produced a spark off the bench for the Lions, shooting 5-11 from the field and 4-9 from the three-point line against the Crusaders. Sophomore Jeremy Elyzee anchored the early scoring for SLU with 11 points on a perfect 5-5 start from the field, while also dishing out four assists alongside CJ Booker (five points). Radford transfer Isaiah Gaines added nine points and a season-high seven rebounds to lead the team on the boards. Jaiden Lawrence and Jalen Forrest stabilized the backcourt each contributing eight points, combining for ten rebounds and six assists.
The Lions wasted no time building momentum, responding to an early deficit with a 12-1 run fueled by Elyzee's aggression inside the paint and Jones connecting from behind the arc. SLU continued to pressure William Carey, capitalizing on 11 turnovers and 11 second-chance points to extend its lead.
Southeastern gained its largest surge midway through the first half as it went on an 8-0 run, highlighted by a fast-break three-pointer from Booker. The Lions closed the first half with another strong push as Jones posted a three-point dagger at the buzzer to give the hosts a commanding 36-14 halftime lead.
SLU closed out the first half shooting 51.7 percent from the field while pressuring the Crusaders to shoot 24.0 percent from the field and 10.0 percent from three-point range.
Southeastern maintained its intensity after the halftime break, extending its lead to a game-high 33 points late in the half. Jones continued his efficient shooting from beyond the arc to help the Lions pull away, while Lawrence came alive in the second half and added timely scoring in transition.
The Crusaders fought to chip away at their deficit led by Randarius Hughes with nine points and six rebounds, but SLU held all the momentum in its favor. Hughes finished the night shooting 4-6 from the field with six rebounds in an effort to battle on the road. William Carey pushed to secure any scoring runs as Southeastern's defense worked to limit opportunities. The Crusaders gained 21 points off fast break opportunities as they capitalized on the Lions offensive miscues.
SLU continued to disrupt William Carey as it converted off a series of turnovers to capitalize on eight fast-break points in the second half. Makhi Myles (nine points) also stepped for the Lions off the bench, shooting 4-4 from the field while snagging seven rebounds. Southeastern remained in the driver seat as the Crusaders had no answer for the hosts to cut into their deficit.
The Lions continued to outmuscle William Carey inside, winning the rebounding battle 45-26 and converting 18 second-chance points off 14 offensive rebounds. SLU's reserves also supplied a major boost, contributing 41 points in its first victory of the season.
Southeastern returns on the road, traveling to Wilmington, N.C. to face UNCW, Gardner-Webb and Navy in the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic Wednesday, Nov. 26-29. Looking to build on Wednesday's momentum, the Lions will open the tournament against UNCW Nov. 26 at 6 p.m. All participating games in the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic will be streamed on FloCollege.
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.
