HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team suffered a tough 79-76 loss in Southland Conference play against New Orleans Monday evening in the University Center.
SLU (5-12, 2-6 SLC) fell by three-points against New Orleans (6-11, 4-4 SLC) due to a last-second buzzer beater at home to extend a two-game losing streak. SLU battled in the back-and-forth contest, but could not close out the game down the stretch as the Privateers capitalized on 14 points off turnovers.
Fifth-year senior Isaiah Gaines led Southeastern with a double-double, finishing with a season-high 18 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 6-11 from the field. Jalen Forrest added 12 points, converting 9-12 from the free throw line, while Kyle Edison chipped in nine points. Jeremy Elyzee contributed eight points, four rebounds and three blocks.
In the opening minutes of the contest, both teams went back and forth working to set the tone for the matchup. Southeastern gained control with a 9-0 scoring run against the Privateers early in the half as the hosts connected from all cylinders, 12-9. New Orleans responded with its own scoring run, gaining the lead midway through the first half, 20-16.
Coleton Benson (30 points) carried the Privateers throughout the contest and fueled their run to maintain their in the half. Southeastern battled to cut into its deficit but New Orleans extended its lead off second chance opportunities while claiming a 22-12 advantage in paint points. Churchill Abass (11 points) also stepped up for the visitors in the first half, but SLU worked to stay within reach, entering the halftime break down 38-34.
New Orleans was paced by Coleton Benson, who poured in a game-high 30 points on 8-of-18 shooting, including four three-pointers, and went 10-for-11 at the foul line. MJ Thomas posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Churchill Abass added 11 points and eight boards off the bench.
Returning from the break, the Lions responded as their defensive pressure turned up a notch to force New Orleans into 10 turnovers in the second half alone. Edison and Jaiden Lawrence (seven points) stepped up with five steals combined to make the Privateers uncomfortable throughout the half to retake the lead, 42-41. Southeastern continued to battle in an effort to defend its home court as it gained 16 points in the paint and 10 points off fast break opportunities.
SLU obtained its largest lead of the night, 61-58 with six minutes remaining in the second half. The hosts fought through 19 lead changes and 16 ties, but New Orleans persevered to answer with key buckets down the stretch from Benson. The Privateers knocked down easy shots at the free throw line, shooting 21-25 from the charity stripe to maintain control down the stretch.
Ultimately the contest was determined at the free throw line as New Orleans prevailed to capitalize while Benson proved to be a relentless problem, connecting on the last second three-point attempt to claim the victory for the visitors. Southeastern finished the night shooting 36.1 percent from the field, 27.3 percent from three-point range and 66.7 percent from the line. The Privateers shot 44.7 percent from the field, but their advantage at the foul line proved decisive, as UNO attempted 39 free throws to the Lions' 39 but converted on five more makes.
SLU will return on the road for a two-game road stretch against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday, Jan. 17 at 3:30 p.m. and UTRGV Monday, Jan. 19 at 6:30 p.m.. Both matchups 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.
