PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University men's basketball team couldn't have asked for a better scenario looking to upset #11 LSU Alexandria, a tied score with possession and the shot clock off, but a missed free throw and a basket and foul on the other end with two seconds left doomed the Wildcats in a 79-78 loss to the Generals Saturday afternoon at H.O. West Fieldhouse.
 
In a game between rivals separated by just a 15-minute drive, it was tight to start as neither team had a larger than one possession lead for more than ten and a half minutes. A LSUA 6-0 run finally gave the Generals that bit of separation at 25-19 with 6:30 left in the first half, but it wouldn't last long as a pair of Kae'ron Baker free throws sent the Wildcats on a 9-2 run that gave LCU the lead back when Ferontay Banks got to the rim for a lay-up with 3:45 left to make it 28-27 LCU. But LSUA went on a 10-1 run to open the largest lead of the half right before the half to make it 38-29 before a Malik Cooper jumper ended the push. LSUA answered with its own score to take a 40-31 lead into the locker room.
 
The early portion of the second half seemed to go against the Wildcats as the Generals opened up at 15-point advantage at 59-44 with 13:45 remaining in the contest. Even after five quick points by Baker and former General Jordan Adebutu helped get the deficit down to ten, LSUA put two baskets together back-to-back to push the lead back out to 14 at 63-49.
 
But the Wildcats would not just go away, instead answering with a massive run to overtake the Generals and put themselves in position to win. A jumper by Kae'ron Baker got things going, setting off the 20-3 Wildcat run that erased the deficit. When Kae'ron Baker sank a three-pointer with 6:30 left, H.O. West erupted as the Wildcats pulled out in front 67-66. After a LSUA miss, Baker got into the paint and pulled up for a jumper to extend that lead to 69-66 with six minutes remaining.
 
LCU held the lead for the next five minutes straight until LSUA got a steal and got a lay-up while being fouled to put the Generals in front 77-75 with 1:09 left in regulation. Things seemed dire after a Wildcat miss and LSUA rebound, but KJ Bilbo stole the ball as a LSUA player flopped for a foul call that would not come while Bilbo raced alone to the basket for a lay-up to tie the score with 40 seconds left. On the ensuing LSUA possession, an energized Wildcat defense forced the Generals into a mistake as a LSUA player stepped on the baseline for a turnover to give the ball to LCU with 24 seconds left. Kae'ron Baker was fouled with 11 seconds left and gave the Wildcats the lead as he made one of the two free throws, but LSUA raced down count and scored with two seconds left as a foul was called. The free throw was missed, but LCU's hopes of the heave were hacked out of the hands as the shot was being released, coming up short at the buzzer.
 
For the second time this season against the Generals, Kae'ron Baker passed the 30-point mark as he scored his second highest total of the season with 36 points. During the game, Baker surpassed the 1,800 career points scored milestone on Senior Day. Jordan Adebutu dropped in 12 points against his old team. KJ Bilbo flirted with a double-double, finishing with 11 points and eight rebounds. Malik Cooper rounded out the leading scorers with ten points. Ferontay Banks grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
 
While LSUA made ten more field goals than LCU did, the Wildcats forced the action inside to get to the free throw line, making 27 of the 32 attempts LCU had at the charity stripe while LSUA made 12 of its 20 attempts at the line.
 
The Wildcats (9-12, 4-6 RRAC) look to rebound and get back in the race for the postseason this Thursday, starting a five-game road swing to close out the regular season at Jarvis Christian, looking to complete the series sweep after winning 74-60 earlier this season at H.O. West. Tip-off of Thursday's game against the Bulldogs (5-13, 1-9 RRAC) is set for 7:30 P.M., or approximately 25 minutes following the end of the women's game, at the Earl W. Rand Center in Hawkins, Texas.