PINEVILLE – Louisiana Christian University's men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker Saturday as Rapides Parish rival LSU–Alexandria left Pineville with a 76-74 win.
 
A midcourt steal by LSUA's J.D. Allen and subsequent layup by Kashie Natt with eight seconds remaining in the game broke the tie in a back-and-forth game and handed the Wildcats their second loss by two points in as many games this week.
 
Delor Johnson scored a game-high 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting to lead the Wildcats (7-14), who fell to 3-10 in Red River Athletic Conference play. Six of LCU's 10 conference losses have been by three points or less.
 
Jude Akabueze scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the 'Cats, good for his sixth double-double in 12 games this season. Ferontay Banks scored 13 points off the LCU bench.
 
The Wildcats led by as many as 11 points with nine minutes remaining in the second half, but a 13-2 run by the visiting Generals tied the game with 4:57 left to play and set the tone for the waning minutes of the contest.
 
LCU shot 40 percent (29 of 73) from the field for the game, but only made 16 percent (3 of 19) of their 3-point shots. The Generals shot 35 percent (8 of 23) from 3-point range and 42 percent (27 of 65) from the floor.
 
The loss proved even more frustrating for the 'Cats given that they turned the ball over only seven times in the game, matching their lowest total of the season. Meanwhile, LCU forced 15 LSUA turnovers and converted them into 21 points.
 
The Wildcats return to action Thursday when they host Huston-Tillotson at the H.O. West Fieldhouse. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., or approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game between the two programs.