Clayton Noakes

Wildcats Win Shootout with Blazers

2/6/2018 1:29:00 AM

By: LC Sports Information - Brad Welborn

Box Score

Almost a year ago to the day, Louisiana College freshman guard Taylan Grogan had his coming out party with a second straight 29-point outing in a Wildcat win. On Monday night, another freshman broke out in an LC victory as Lashard Powell set a new season high with 32 points in the Wildcats 102-97 win over Belhaven University. The Wildcats surpassed 100 points for the first time this season, thanks to a 62.1 field goal percentage. The Wildcats host American Southwest Conference East leader LeTourneau on Thursday night at H.O. West Fieldhouse.

From the outset of Monday's game it was clear it was gong to be shootout through to the end. The first points of the game came on a 3-point shot from Belhaven's Isiah Brown and the long balls continued to rain on both ends of the floor at a steady pace. The Wildcats Lashard Powell hit his first long ball a minute after Brown and the race was on between the two teams.

Nine of the first 12 field goals made in the game all came from behind the arc, in just barely over five minutes of game time. By the end of the first half LC and Belhaven had combined to shoot 42 long balls, 28 by the Blazers and 14 from the Wildcats, making 21 of them. With that kind of long range shooting it is no surprise that a combined 108 points were scored in the first half, with the Wildcats holding the slim 55-53 lead at the break.

Powell scored the Wildcats last five points of the first half, including, you guessed it, a three-pointer with 41 seconds left to put LC up 55-50. Belhaven answered just a few ticks later with a long ball of their own to cut it back down to just a pair at the end of the first 20 minutes of play.

While the long distance shooting cooled off slightly in the second half, mostly on the Wildcats end of the floor, the Blazers continued to take their chances from distance, and it paid off with an eight-point lead by the midway point of the second half. The Wildcats erased the lead with a 12-2 run that put them up by three with 6:45 left in the game. The game was back and forth for the next five plus minutes until Devon Washington got an open layup to tie the game at 97 with 1:21 left. After a Belhaven miss on the other end and an LC turnover, the Blazers had the ball back with under a minute to go.

Timothy Stokes made the play of the game by picking the pocket of Isiah Brown and cruising to an uncontested layup on the other end to give LC the lead with 36 seconds to go. A key rebound by Devon Washington following Belhaven's attempt to tie put the ball in the hands of the Wildcats free throw shooting. Travis Schultz made two clutch shots from the line with 20 seconds to go that made it a two score game and Stokes sealed the game with another at the nine second mark.

Freshman Lashard Powell had a career night with 32 points on 8-of-15 shooting and 5-of-8 from behind the three-pont line. Devon Washington once again was dominant around the basket, scoring 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting. Travis Schultz finished with his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Timothy Stokes just missed a double-double of his own with 11 points and nine assists.

The Wildcats host LeTourneau on Thursday night at H.O. West Fieldhouse on the Louisiana College campus, the Wildcat men's first game there this season. 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.

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