PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University men's basketball program took an 11-9 lead with 14:38 left in the first half and never relinquished it despite a furious rally by William Carey, staving off the comeback in an 84-79 home debut triumph.
The Basics:
- Score
- Louisiana Christian – 84
- William Carey – 79
- Records
- Louisiana Christian (2-1, 0-0 Red River)
- William Carey (2-2, 0-0 Southern States)
- Series History (Since 2004-05)
- Louisiana Christian Leads 2-1 (66.7%)
- Winning Streak (Since 2004-05)
- Louisiana Christian (W2) | William Carey's Last Win: December 4, 2021 (75-72)
Wildcats Top Performers:
- Gary Smith was the motor that ran the offense, pouring in a game-high 24 points, accounting for 4-of-5 (80%) made three-pointers for the Cats, and notching a pair of steals as he shot 46.2% from the field.
- Drew Tebbe went for a new career-high in both assists (6) as well as rebounds (5) counteracting an off-shooting night by setting up easy buckets.
- D'Marcus Fugett also set personal benchmarks in those same categories, dishing out five dimes on top of seven boards.
- Jude Akabueze was an all-around menace in the paint, scoring 13 points and bringing down a club-most eight rebounds during a 5-for-9 (55.6%) night.
- Omarion Layssard seemingly lived on the court, spending a game-high 33+ minutes in action while rewarding Coach Mason with a pivotal 17 points.
Notes:
- Louisiana Christian led by as many as 15 at the 10:13 mark of the second half (65-50) and racked up 20 assists with four Wildcats contributing at least three to that total.
Next:
- Another exhibition at the NCAA Division I's Louisiana Ragin Cajuns is on the docket Wednesday night in the Cajundome before returning to "The Hill" for a women's/men's doubleheader against Dillard the following day.
Follow the men's basketball program on Twitter/X (
@LCU_MBSK) and Instagram (
@LCU.MBB).
Follow the Wildcats on Facebook (
@LCUAthletics), Twitter/X (
@LCU_Wildcats) and Instagram (
@LCU_Wildcats).
#ClawsUp
