PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University men's basketball got 2022 off to a big start as graduate guard Kae'ron Baker celebrated New Year's Day by eclipsing the 1,500 career points scored milestone while the Wildcats avenged a previous double overtime loss to Tougaloo with a 78-67 win over the Bulldogs Saturday afternoon at H.O. West Fieldhouse.
 
All the game's lead changes came during the game's opening nine minutes. A jumper by Malik Cooper with just over 12 minutes left in the first half tied the score at 12-12, and roughly thirty seconds later, a Ferontay Banks free throw gave LCU the lead for good at 13-12. Those three points was the start of an 18-8 Wildcat run to give LCU its largest lead of the period at eight points when Jude Akabueze tipped back in his own miss to put LCU up 28-20 with three minutes left before halftime. The Wildcats led 34-30 at the break.
 
LCU extended the lead out to double digits right out of the halftime break thanks to a pair of quick three-pointers. On the opening possession of the second half, KJ Bilbo drilled a three-pointer just 15 seconds into the period to extend the lead back out to seven points. After LCU's next possession ended in a missed shot, Bailey Hardy stole the ball as Tougaloo tried to start its possession and Hardy stepped back to hit a three of his own to make the score 40-30 just more than a minute into the second half.
 
The historic moment for Kae'ron Baker came a few minutes later. After a missed Tougaloo shot, Baker got out on the fastbreak and got to the rim for a lay-up to put him at 1,499 career points and give LCU a 12-point lead. After a missed dunk by the Bulldogs on the ensuing possession, Ferontay Banks got the ball into Baker's hands and Baker turned the corner and got to the rim again for another lay-up to put him over 1,500 career points with just more than 16 minutes left in the contest, putting the Wildcats up 46-32.
 
With 13:30 left in the game, Malik Cooper gave the Wildcats its largest advantage of the game with a jumper that put LCU up 53-36, a 17-point lead. Several minutes later, newcomer Jordan Adebutu got to the rim for a bucket to get the lead back out to 17 points at 55-38 with 11:30 left in the game.
 
But hopes for an easy start to the new year were hindered as Tougaloo embarked on a 14-0 run to turn that 17-point deficit into just a three-point Wildcat lead. A Bailey Hardy three-pointer with less than 7:30 left in the game restored some order to extend the lead back out to six points. The Wildcats would slowly push the lead back up, getting it back up into double figures when Bailey Hardy got out ahead of the pack following a Tougaloo miss for a fastbreak lay-up to get LCU back out to a 69-58 lead with less than four minutes left in the contest and the Wildcats saw out the game from there.
 
"This was a good win for us tonight for a number of reasons," said LCU head men's basketball coach Reni Mason. "It's good to have some confidence heading into the conference opener next week."
 
But Coach Mason had to give the graduate guard his flowers on his historic day, surpassing 1,500 career points scored.
 
"Kae'ron Baker has simply the total package. In my 26 years of coaching, he is simply the best I have ever coached. He's the total package on and off the floor. He's a shining example of what happens when you work in the classroom and on the floor. Our program is much better because of him."
 
Needing only 14 points to hit 1,500 for his career, Kae'ron Baker went and doubled that, finishing the game as the high-scorer in the contest with 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including three made three-pointers. Baker also added five rebounds, two steals and two assists. Bailey Hardy hit three threes as well on his way to 17 points as he scored on half of the shots he took. Hardy filled up the stat sheet with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Malik Cooper was just one rebound shy of a double-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, a block, and two steals. Jude Akabueze controlled the paint with six rebounds and two blocks.
 
LCU really heated up in the second half, hitting 51.6% in the last 20 minutes to finish the game at 44.9% overall. Five of LCU's seven made threes came in the second half. LCU's defense held Tougaloo to 35.9% from the field in the contest and 33.3% from long range.
 
The Wildcats (5-6, 0-0 RRAC) start their maiden trip through Red River Athletic Conference play at home on Thursday as Our Lady of the Lake comes to Pineville to open RRAC play for LCU for the first time. Tip-off of the contest against the Saints (5-6, 0-1 RRAC) is set for 7:30 P.M., or about 25 minutes after the end of the women's game, at H.O. West Fieldhouse.