Wildcats Finish ASC Play with a Win on Senior Day

2/11/2017 8:24:00 PM

By: LC Sports Information

Box Score

The Louisiana College Wildcat men's basketball team closed out its 2017 American Southwest Conference schedule with a 90-85 home win over the University of the Ozarks, Saturday afternoon at H.O. West Fieldhouse. The men's team honored three senior players prior to the game, Steve Evans, Raheem Regis, and Brandon Watkins, with a gift and the two available to play, Regis and Watkins turned in their best performances of the season to return the gift of a victory for the home fans.

The game was tightly contested throughout the afternoon and included a total of 12 different lead changes and nine different ties. The difference came on the offensive glass as LC out-rebounded Ozarks 16-9 and put in 12 second chance points to the Eagles five.

The Eagles held the lead through the first 10 minutes of the first half, 15-11, but a 3-pointer from Travis Schultz pulled the Wildcats within a point off a dish from Timothy Stokes. Ozarks held on to the lead for the next three minutes, but the Wildcats and D'Aaron Davis made a quick burst to take the lead for the first time since the 12:24 mark of the game, when Davis hit two free throws after a foul, then drew another on a good layup for five quick points and a 21-20 LC lead with 7:46 left in the half.

The lead changed hands eight times the rest of the first half with the final change coming on an Ozarks layup with 22 second left that put them ahead, 38-36, at the break. Both teams shot better than 40% in the first half, with the biggest difference coming in the turnover category. The Wildcats turned the ball over 10 times in the first half compared to just five from the Eagles.

Raheem Regis tied the game on the Wildcats first possession of the second half, and Brandon Watkins tied it again at 40 after the teams traded layups, one minute into the half. A free throw with 17:43 left in the game put Ozarks back on top for the final time in the game, as Jacquez Coleman knocked down a three on the Wildcats next possession, giving LC the 43-41 lead in the game, a lead they would not give up the rest of the way.

The Eagles were able to get within one basket of the Wildcats on several different occasions throughout the rest of the game, but each time, LC would make a little run to pull away again, building as big as a 10 point lead mid way through the second half. Ozarks hung in there through the back half of the second half and had a chance to potentially tie the game after Dylan Gray hit a 3-pointer from the left side to get the Eagles within 3-points with 13 second left in the game. After a quick foul to stop the clock, and two missed free throws that would have made it a two possession game with nine second to go, a steal by Travis Schultz sealed the game when he stepped in front of a pass to give the Wildcats the ball. Schultz sunk both shots from the line officially capping the Wildcats victory on senior day 90-85.

Senior Raheem Regis had one of his best games as a Wildcat, scoring 21 points, leading the team, and pulling down 13 rebounds, for his ninth double-double of the season. Fellow senior Brandon Watkins scored 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the floor. Taylan Grogan and Travis Schultz each finished with 12 points, Jacquez Coleman had 10 and Timothy Stokes was close to putting in a triple-double with 11 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds in the game.

The Wildcats will wrap up their season next Saturday on the road at Belhaven, after officially being eliminated from tournament contention on Thursday night. Several Wildcats will be in the running for ASC season awards, which will be announced by the conference later this month. Stay up to date on Louisiana College basketball by following @LC_MBSK on Twitter or liking LC Athletics on Facebook.

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