ALEXANDRIA, La. – The No. 2 Louisiana State University of Alexandria men's basketball team have claimed back-to-back Red River Athletic Conference regular season titles with an 81-62 victory over Xavier (La.).
 
The Generals (23-1, 20-1 RRAC) are the first team in the NAIA to earn an automatic bid to the postseason. The victory is LSUA's 17^th consecutive win.
 
"To do what we've done the last two years, I give credit to God, to Coach Dwayne, to Coach Alissa, everyone that's been a part of this program," LSUA Head Coach Dimario Jackson said. "It's work. One of the hardest things to do is win the regular season because it's such a long season. So many things change, a lot happens. Kudos to our guys for answering the challenge."
 
Kashie Natt led the Generals with a career-high 32 points. He finished 10-for-20 from the floor and 9-for-10 at the free throw line. Natt also added 10 rebounds for his 12^th double-double of the season.
 
Jordan Decuir tallied 14 points, while EJ McQuillan recorded 13. The Generals tallied 28 points in the paint, 20 points off turnovers, 14 second chance points, 12 fast break points, and the bench recorded 25 points.
 
The first half was tightly contested as neither team could wrest control. After an initial 5-1 lead from LSUA, Xavier (La. ) (17-7, 16-6 RRAC) put up five consecutive points to flip the lead to the Gold Rush, 6-5. Four consecutive free throws put LSUA back on top 9-6. The seesaw battle continued with LSUA pulling ahead by four, followed by the XULA staking out a four-point lead of their own. The Gold Rush extended their advantage to eight, 25-17, just past the halfway mark in the first. The Generals went to work chipping away at the deficit, tying the game less than three minutes later on a three from McQuillan, 27-27.
 
After trading free throws, a dunk from Kaleb Pouncy put LSUA ahead 31-29. Decuir followed it with a three on the Generals' next possession. After a single free throw from XULA, six consecutive points from Natt extended LSUA's lead to 10, 40-30, at halftime.
 
The Purple and Gold scored the first 11 points in the second half, opening a 21-point advantage. Natt and McQuillan combined for all 11 points in the run, splitting it six to five, respectively.
 
From there, the Generals never looked back.
 
Leading 65-42 with 6:18 left in regulation, a layup from Xavier Smith opened another LSUA run. LSUA scored 11 unanswered points for a 34-point gap, 76-42, with under five minutes to play.
 
LSUA is back in action on Thursday, February 13, when they host Our Lady of the Lake University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM at The Fort.