WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team extended its winning streak with a thrilling 69-65 victory over Navy in the Trask Coliseum to close out the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic.
SLU (3-5) secured its first program win over Navy (4-5) with a four-point, down to the wire, victory on the road. Southeastern noted a commanding 42-24 lead in the first half to hold off the Mids late in the second half. Three Lions finished in double-figures to record their third victory of the season as junior guard Peter Hemschemeier posted a standout game with 19 points and three assists in 22 minutes. Hemscheimeir closed out the game with a prolific performance around the perimeter, shooting 7-10 from the field and 5-5 from the three-point line.
Fifth-year senior Isaiah Gaines also stepped up for SLU with a season-high 16 points with five rebounds. Gaines finished 7-8 from the field and 2-2 from the charity stripe as Jalen Forrest followed up with 12 points, five rebounds and two assists. Forrest fueled a run of momentum for Southeastern, shooting 2-4 from the field, 1-2 from behind the arc and 7-8 from the line.
Navy came out to a strong start with a 10-4 scoring run against the Lions to quickly claim all the momentum early in the first half. Southeastern's key reserves stepped up off the bench as Forrest and Hemschemeier proved to be a dynamic duo in the first half to provide a spark of momentum. The Mids continued to hold majority of the momentum midway through the first half, but SLU battled to turn the tide of momentum in its favor.
The Lions countered to deliver one of their most dominant halves of the season, erupting for 42 first-half points while shooting 62.5 percent from the field and 75.0 percent from beyond the arc. Southeastern's bench also stepped up once again to be a major difference-maker, outscoring Navy's reserves 29–0 in the half. Gaines and Hemschemeir closed out the first half shooting 100.0 percent from the field as SLU fought to hold its momentum and end the first half with a 42-27 lead.
The Mids produced an electrifying charge in the second half, outscoring SLU 38–27 to cut into its 19-point deficit. Navy guard Austin Benigni finished with a game-high 24 points, spearheaded the comeback, scoring 16 points in the second half alone. Cam Cole also supplied valuable minutes off the bench for the Mids, contributing 13 points that fueled a 13–2 run midway through the second half.
Despite the surge, Southeastern remained composed down the stretch to continue to battle with the lead. Gaines and Hemschemeier proved to be consistent offensive threats for the Lions, combining for crucial buckets down the stretch to put the green and gold ahead, 63–61. Hemschemeier drilled a dagger from the three-point line to extend Southeastern's lead, 66-61, with under two minutes left in the contest.
Navy refused to back down and trimmed the margin back to one, 66–65, as Southeastern gained a clutch opportunity at the free-throw line. Jeremy Elyzee (seven points) stepped up for a 1-and-1 with 12.0 seconds left, sinking the first to push the lead to two. Kyle Edison battled to secure an offensive rebound and a trip to the charity stripe to add in two more free throws with 10.0 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
SLU will return home to Hammond, America to open Southland Conference play against Northwestern State Sunday, Dec. 7 at 3:30 p.m. in the University Center. The Lions's matchup against the Demons 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.
