PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana College men's basketball team had a tough battle in their first-ever match-up with Philander Smith, surviving a low-scoring, foul-plagued contest and pulled out a 59-56 win over the Panthers Tuesday night at H.O. West Fieldhouse.
 
Neither team could pull away from the other for the entirety of the game. Philander Smith picked up its largest lead of the contest with just more than 8:15 left before halftime following a pair of free throws that made the score 21-16. The Wildcats immediately followed that with a 9-0 run, starting with a three-pointer by KJ Bilbo and ended by another three-pointer, this one by Ferontay Banks, that gave LC a 25-21 lead with just less than 5:30 left before the break. Philander Smith tied the game back up at 25-25, but LC closed out the half on a 7-2 push, closed out by a three-pointer by Bailey Hardy with just seconds left, that gave the Wildcats a 32-27 lead at the break.
 
The second half was more of the same with neither team able to open the lead. LC picked up the largest lead of the game for either team at six points for the first time with 11:45 left in the contest as Kae'ron Baker hit a pull-up jump shot to make it 42-36 Wildcats. LC regained the six-point lead with 6:15 left in the contest as Baker was fouled on a three-point attempt and sank all three resulting free throw attempts to make it 51-45. Philander Smith answered with an 8-0 run to reclaim the lead with 4:16 remaining following a pair of free throws that made the score 53-51 Panthers.
 
A Malik Cooper jumper with just less than four minutes left that tied the game at 53-53 marked the final made field goal of the contest from either team. From that point, the game turned into a free throw shooting competition. LC got the advantage as a pair of free throws from Kae'ron Baker gave the Wildcats the lead at 56-54, and then a defensive stop allowed KJ Bilbo to extend the lead at the line as he sank a pair to make it 58-54. The Panthers got a pair of free throws to get back within two points before Baker split a pair to make it a three-point Wildcat lead with 12 seconds left. Philander's contested corner three to tie the game at the buzzer hit the front rim and the Wildcats celebrated the win.
 
"Philander Smith is a tough bunch," said Louisiana College head men's basketball coach Reni Mason. "They've played three games in four days and battled to the end. We were fortunate, and I mean fortunate, to win tonight. We will have to play much better to have a chance against Mobile on Saturday evening."
 
Kae'ron Baker continued his role as the top offensive threat, leading all scorers with 17 points. Ferontay Banks finished with 11 points and team-highs in both rebounds, six, assists, four, and steals, three. While it was a tough night shooting as LC hit on just 34.5% of its shots in the contest, defense carried the day for the Wildcats as LC got 11 steals off the Panthers as a team. Also, even though the Panthers shot 40.9% as a team, LC made one more field goal overall than PSC and the Wildcats' efforts from deep were key as LC his seven three-pointers compared to just two by the PSC.
 
The Wildcats (2-0) look to make it three-straight wins to start the NAIA era to close out the season-beginning home stand on Saturday when the University of Mobile comes to town for a homecoming day game. Tip-off for Saturday's match-up with the Rams (0-1) is set for 4:00 P.M. at H.O. West Fieldhouse.