LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team fell short in a hard fought 73-61 loss to McNeese Saturday afternoon in the Townsley Law Firm Arena.
Southeastern (5-11, 2-5 SLC) suffered a 12-point loss against McNeese (13-3, 6-1 SLC) on the road as the hosts capitalized on 21 points off turnovers. SLU battled throughout the contest, but were unable to force the upset despite a stronger second-half performance.
Kyle Edison (13 points) led the charge for the green and gold with a season-high as three Lions ended the game in double-figures. Edison shot 5-7 from the field, 2-4 from the three-point line and 1-2 from the stripe to provide a spark off the bench for Southeastern. Makhi Myles followed up with 11 points and nine rebounds to lead the team on the boards while Jeremy Elyzee recorded 10 points and seven rebounds.
Graduate senior Ethan Pickett chipped in nine points while dishing out five assists to lead the team. SLU forced the Cowboys into 10 turnovers and closed out the game shooting 43.2 percent from the field, 26.3 percent from behind the arc and 64.3 percent from the free throw line in a valiant effort on the road.
The Lions jumped out to an early 7-0 lead as Myles proved to be a problem for the hosts, scoring five of the first seven points. Southeastern's defense carried over its smothering pressure from its last matchup as it held McNeese scoreless the opening minutes of the first half. The Cowboys settled down and responded with a 16-0 scoring run midway through the half, 30-14, fueled by 11 points in transition and seven second-chance opportunities.
McNeese seized control of the game with 15 points off turnovers and 22 paint points in the first half as Tyshawn Archie (25 points) carried the hosts throughout the contest. The Cowboys entered halftime with a 40-27 advantage, shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from the three-point line.
Southeastern regained its composure to battle back, cutting the game within single-digits early in the second half, 40-34. McNeese fought to hold onto its lead, but SLU worked to produce a spark of momentum with 11 points off of second chance opportunities. The Cowboys continued to maintain the upper hand, but the Lions refused to back down as they remained aggressive to claim 18 paint points in the second half, 55-48.
SLU continued to push to cut into its deficit as Edison stepped up from the three-point line alongside strong interior plays Elyzee, Pickett and Isaiah Gaines (eight points). Southeastern trimmed the margin to bring the game within five-points, 55-50, but each time the visitors threatened to take control, McNeese answered back.
Despite outscoring the Cowboys 34-33 in the second half, the Lions were unable to overcome the first-half deficit. SLU gained opportunities at the free throw line, but struggled to capitalize down the stretch. Javohn Garcia (10 points) made an impact for McNeese, but fouled out late in the half as the hosts' key reserves stepped up to drop 22 points in the second half.
The Cowboys worked the clock in their favor and closed out the game at the free throw line. McNeese shot 48.3 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from the three-point line and 73.3 percent from the charity stripe.
Southeastern will return to Hammond, America to host New Orleans Monday at 6 p.m. in the University Center. Monday's matchup versus the Privateers will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans are encouraged to come and support the Lions against the Privateers Monday for Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night as we celebrate the incredible educators and staff who make our community strong.
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.
