WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team suffered a 70-57 loss to UNCW Wednesday night in the opening of the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic in Trask Coliseum.
SLU (1-5) came out strong against UNCW (5-1) leading 18 minutes of the first half, but could not withstand the hosts' dominant 43-24 second half surge. Sophomore Jeremy Elyzee led all scorers with a season-high 21 points, shooting 9-15 from the field with three rebounds and two assists. Fifth-year senior Isaiah Gaines contributed seven points, alongside Jalen Forrest, while also leading the Southeastern with four rebounds and three assists. Ethan Pickett provided six points and two steals with active minutes on both ends of the floor.
The Lions controlled the tempo early to produce a strong first half performance as their defensive pressure fueled an efficient first-half offense. Southeastern claimed a 12-point advantage midway through the opening half, 25-13, as Elyzee worked to carry the team on his back. SLU produced its best offensive half of the season, scoring 24 points in the paint while gaining nine points off the Seahawks six turnovers.
SLU maintained its momentum to close out the first half with a 33–27 lead, shooting 53.6 percent from the field. Southeastern's defense held UNCW to just 38.5 percent from the field and 8.3 percent from beyond the arc before the halftime break.
The Seahawks returned in the second half to turn the tide of momentum in their favor as they claimed a 9-2 scoring run in the opening minutes. Nolan Hodge came alive in the second half for UNCW to close out with a double-double, 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Seahawks continued to battle in the second half to secure the lead, powered by efficient shooting and a decisive advantage at the free throw line.
Senior Christian May followed up with 13 points alongside Greedy Williams with 12 points, shooting 8-9 from the charity stripe. Madison Durr also provided a spark off the bench for UNCW with 12 points and four assists off the bench. Southeastern worked to weather the storm, but the Seahawks continued to pull ahead as they shot 52.4 percent from the field in the second half.
SLU continued to battle, but its offensive rhythm faltered in the second half as the visitors finished shooting 26.7 percent from the field and 15.8 percent from three-point line. UNCW worked to capitalize on the Lions cold stretch as it secured points in transition to outscore Southeastern 12–1 in fast break opportunities.
The Seahawks closed out the game with a 40–28 rebounding advantage, including 31 defensive boards to limit second-chance opportunities for the Lions. UNCW finished 23-30 from the charity stripe compared to SLU'S 6-12 effort at the line, creating a 17-point swing at the free throw line.
Southeastern ended the night shooting 39.7 percent from the field, 17.2 percent from three-point line and 50.0 percent from the stripe. The Lions forced the Seahawks into 10 turnovers, gaining 11 points off the hosts' mistakes while securing a 34-36 advantage in the paint. UNCW fought to hold off SLU in the end to remain undefeated at home.
The Lions will move on to face Gardner-Webb Friday at 11 a.m. Central for their second matchup in the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic. 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.
