Box Score

Hardin-Simmons came into Pineville Thursday night as the hottest team in the American Southwest Conference, and the Cowboys showed why in holding off a furious Louisiana College second half comeback in an 80-76 win.
 
HSU led by as many 17 points throughout the second half, including a 56-39 lead with 17:37 left in the game. But, the Wildcats chipped away at that lead and found themselves down just two points, 71-69, with 3:29 to play following a free throw by freshman Steve Evans.
 
The Cowboys responded with four straight points from Derrick Jefferson – part of his game-high 22-point night – to lead 75-69 with 1:22 to play. LC got a 3-point basket from senior Doc Welch to cut the lead to 75-72 with 1:05 left, and then pulled to within one again, 75-74, on a layup by sophomore Kevin Lewis with :47 left. Lewis could have tied the game as he was fouled on the play, but he missed the free – one of six missed free throws for the Wildcats in the game's final eight minutes.
 
The Cowboys then put away the game on a 3-point dagger from Charles Sams with just 17 second left. LC's Kevin Cottonham, who finished as his team's leading scorer with 21 points along with 10 assits, missed a driving layup on the ensuing possession. Sams hit two free throws with 8 seconds left before Lewis ended the scoring with a slam dunk as time expired.
 
For Hardin-Simmons, it was their seventh straight win – a streak that includes victories over Texas-Dallas and Texas Tyler – and moved them into sole possession of second place in the ASC with a 13-4 conference mark (13-4 overall). The Wildcats, who held second place in the league before their current four-game losing streak, fell to 9-7 in the ASC, 9-9 overall.
 
The Wildcats, who were playing without injured leading scorer Anthony Gaines, had five players finish in double figures. Joining Cottonham were Welch with 14, freshman Raheem Regis with 13 along with 9 rebounds, Evans had 11 and Lewis finished with 10.
The Wildcats shot a very respectable 46-percent from the field (27-for-59) but made just 5 3-point shots (5-for-13) and missed 10 free throws (17-for-27).
 
The Wildcats two-game homestand will get no easier Saturday. LC welcomes Texas-Dallas, the league's first place team with a record of 16-1 and currently ranked No. 24 by D3Hoops.com, to H. O. West Fieldhouse with a tip-off time set for 3 p.m.