NATCHITOCHES, LA. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team suffered a tough 69-66 loss against Northwestern State Saturday afternoon in the Prather Coliseum.

Southeastern (8-18, 5-12 SLC) dropped its rematch versus Northwestern State (8-18, 6-11 SLC) in a three-point decision on the road. SLU fell in a hard-fought battle down the stretch as the Demons secured the game at the free-throw line, converting 13-14 in the second half to swing the momentum late. The green and gold closed out the game shooting an efficient 49.0 percent from the field while gaining 38 points in the paint and 16 second chance points.

Three Lions finished the game in double-figures as Jalen Forrest produced a prolific performance, dropping a season-high 26 points with five rebounds. The Atlanta, Ga. native provided a spark off the bench for Southeastern, shooting 8-12 from the field, 3-5 from the three-point line and 7-10 from the charity stripe. Isaiah Gaines followed up with 12 points while leading the team on the glass with seven rebounds against Northwestern State.

Jeremy Elyzee closed the contest with 10 points, three rebounds and two assists in an effort to try and claim the road win. Gaines and Elyzee finished 5-8 from the field in the game as Ethan Pickett and Makhi Myles chipped in five points apiece. Southeastern gained the upper hand in the rebounding battle against the Demons, but faltered in execution in the final seconds of the game.

Micah Thomas led the charge for Northwestern State, also posting 26 points to cause problems throughout the contest. Thomas proved to fuel the hosts' offensive rhythm, shooting 8-11 from the field, 3-3 from behind the arc and 7-8 from the free throw line. Chris Mubiru added 12 points, while Willie Williams contributed eight points and six rebounds to lead the Demons. Northwestern State finished 47.8 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from the three-point line and 92.9 percent from the free throw line to secure the win.

Southeastern controlled much of the first half, building momentum behind strong interior play and transition opportunities. Gaines and Elyzee contributed to SLU's interior presence with an eight-point scoring run in the opening minutes of the first half to grasp the early momentum, 10-4. The green and gold punched first, but Northwestern State quickly recovered to reclaim the lead  as the visitors fell into a three-minute scoring drought, 11-10.

 The Lions shot 53.6 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from behind the arc in the opening period. Forrest set the tone for SLU from the three-point line, connecting 2-3 from downtown with confidence to fuel the visitors, 26-26. Southeastern relied on its balanced scoring as it claimed a 20-14 edge in paint points and a 14-4 advantage in bench points over the Demons.

 Though Northwestern State capitalized on Southeastern's seven turnovers in the first half, the green and gold prevailed to carry a 35-32 advantage into the break. SLU led for over 10 minutes in the first half and held the Demons to 44.4 percent shooting during the frame, but Thomas remained relentless for the hosts with double-digits in the opening half.

The second half mirrored the intensity of the first, as neither team gained full separation. Southeastern stretched its lead to as many as seven early in the period as Forrest continued to carry the team with the hot hand, 46-39. Northwestern State responded with timely scoring runs and aggressive drives to the basket Mubiru, but SLU's key reserves continued to step up. 

Both teams went back-and-forth, working to push the tide of momentum in its favor in the final half. The Demons shot 47.8 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes and were nearly flawless at the charity stripe, 13-14 to close the game. Forrest refused to back down for Southeastern, scoring 18 points in the second half alone with crafty finishes to get to the rim or the free throw line. 

Thomas continued to carry the weight of the game for Northwestern State on his shoulders while Forrest and Gaines proved to be a solid duo for the Lions. Forrest answered the call for the green and gold down the stretch, delivering timely buckets and connecting at the free throw line to hold the lead, 61-58. The senior guard scored the last five-point of the game in an effort to seal the deal, 66-65, but a costly foul sent the Demons to the free throw line to regain their lead and close out the game.

SLU will remain on the road to end the week in Commerce, Texas to face East Texas A&M Monday at 1 p.m. Monday's match 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.

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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.