The Christmas break did not slow down the Louisiana College men's basketball team and their record start to the 2018-19 season. The Wildcats extended their team record winning streak to nine games on Friday afternoon with a 73-63 victory over Hendrix College in the Cru Holiday Classic at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Wildcats will try and make it 10 in a row on Saturday afternoon as they take on Covenant College of Georgia.

The Wildcats got off to a bit of a slow start in the game finding themselves trailing 15-8 at the 13:50 mark of the first half. A dominant stretch by LC big man Devon Washington turned the game on its head as the Wildcats went on an 18-1 stretch where Washington accounted for eight points on his own. The inside play opened things for Kae'ron Baker and Queshod Young to knock down some longer shots and just like that it was a 26-16 LC lead four minutes later.

The Wildcats led the rest of the half, having as much as a 12 point lead on a trey from Jacquez Coleman at the 3:54 mark of the half. Hendrix would score the final four points of the half as neither team would convert from the line or the field over the final 2:36 sending the game to the half with the Wildcats up 40-32.

Although the Wildcats would not surrender their lead through the entire second half, the Warriors would not go away easily. A quick four point swing got them within a basket at 44-42 with 15:55 remaining, and another jumper three minutes later made it a 48-47 LC lead. Back-to-back three's from Young and Travis Schultz quickly turned it into a seven point Wildcat lead at the midway point of the half.

Hendrix would get within three on a couple of different occasions the rest of the way but a 9-1 LC run capped off by a Baker three with 2:24 to go put the Wildcats up 69-58 and all but secured the ninth win in a row.

"We were very fortunate to win tonight," Head Coach Reni Mason said. "Our effort was there but we had poor execution in so many areas. We have to perform better as we move towards the toughest part of our conference schedule."

The Wildcats will take on Covenant College (GA.) in the finale of the Cru Holiday Classic with tip-off scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday from Belton, Texas. Covenant fell 77-64 to host Mary Hardin-Baylor on Friday. Stay connected to Louisiana College men's basketball by following @LC_MBSK on Twitter. For general athletics news follow @LC_Wildcats on Twitter or like Louisiana College Wildcats on Facebook.