SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The No. 5 Louisiana State University of Alexandria men's basketball team held off a late push from Texas A&M-San Antonio, 74-71, to secure their sixth consecutive victory.
"Good job by our guys finishing the game," LSUA Head Coach Dimario Jackson said. "We have to be better in every aspect of hte game, 24-hour rule! Back to work tomorrow!"
Kashie Natt led the Generals (12-1, 9-1 RRAC) with 19 points. He went 8-for-19 from the field and hauled in a team-high 11 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season.
EJ McQuillan and
Jakemin Abney both tallied 12 points on the evening. Abney finished 4-for-8 from the field. McQuillan tallied a team-high four steals. The Generals tallied 38 points in the paint, 24 points off turnovers, 25 second chance points, 14 fast break points, and the bench chipped in 24 points.
LSUA opened the game on an 8-0 run with a pair of threes from Natt and Abney, as well as a tip-in from Natt.
A jumper from Abney with 12:22 left in the first half gave the Generals a 10-point, 18-8, lead.
Jordan Decuir added another bucket to the bring the Purple and Gold's edge to a dozen.
The Generals reached their largest lead of the game on a jumper from
Jason Perry II, 30-13, with 9:32 on the clock in the first.
Texas A&M-San Antonio worked the Generals' lead into single digits, down to six, as the buzzer rang for the end of the first half.
Baskets from Abney and Natt opened the second half and pushed LSUA's lead back to double digits, 48-38. The Generals' lead hovered near 10 points until a 10-0 run from the Jaguars brought the game level, 69-69, with 1:20 left in regulation.
A free throw from McQuillan and jumper from Natt put the Generals ahead 72-69. The Jaguars put up a jumper on their next possession, bringing the score to 72-71 with just 37 seconds left in regulation.
Natt knocked down a jumper with 12 seconds remaining, forcing a missed shot from long range from the Jaguars, securing the victory 74-71.
The Generals are back in action Saturday, December 21, as they are on the road against Our Lady of the Lake University at 3:00 PM in San Antonio.
