STAFFORD, Texas – The Louisiana Christian University men's basketball team cut a 17-point second half deficit down to five points, but the comeback faltered over the final 10 minutes as the Wildcats fell 91-74 to the North American Stallions Saturday afternoon at the Stafford Municipal School District Gymnasium.
 
Louisiana Christian (1-7, 0-2 RRAC) enjoyed some early two-point leads, the last coming at 9-7 on a Bryce Weinmunson jumper with 16:45 left in the first half.
 
But North American (4-2, 2-1 RRAC) scored the next 14 points to take a 21-9 lead with 11 minutes left before halftime and would not trail again.
 
LCU cut that deficit down to four points several times before halftime, the last time at 29-25 with 6:15 left in the period as Tomario Thomas, Jr. hit a shot from beyond the arc.
 
Leading by five, 34-29, with less than five minutes left before the break, the Stallions went on an 8-0 push to get their lead back up to 13 points at 42-29 with 3:15 remaining in the first half. NAU would take a 48-36 lead into the break.
 
Out of the half, NAU pushed its lead out to 17 points in the first four minutes of the period at 59-42.
 
Trailing 62-45, a pair of free throws by Thomas, Jr. started the big LCU run to get back in it as the Wildcats ran off 14 of the next 16 points to get back within five as a pair of Weinmunson free throws made it 64-59 with 10 minutes left.
 
NAU pushed its lead back up to 11 before the Wildcats rattled off five-straight to get back within six points on a pair of buckets right at the rim by Justice Kelly which made it 70-64 Stallions with 6:20 left in the contest.
 
But that's where LCU's run faltered as NAU used an 18-1 run to open its largest lead of the contest at 88-65, putting the game away with 2:30 remaining.
 
Kelly had a very efficient day from the field, hitting four of his six shot attempts, including his only three-point attempt, and made all 10 of his free throw attempts to finish with 19 points. He also grabbed two rebounds in the contest.
 
Weinmunson finished the contest with 16 points while dishing out six assists. He also grabbed five rebounds and blocked a shot.
 
Drew Tebbe was also on the mark for most of the evening, hitting five of eight shot attempts, two of three from deep, and two of three from the free throw line to finish with 14 points. He also dished out six assists and grabbed five rebounds while coming up with a steal as well.
 
Thomas, Jr. came off the bench and hit three of his five shot attempts, including all three attempts from above the arc, and hit both of his free throw attempts.
 
LCU hit 40.4 percent from the field and was 34.8 percent from beyond the three-point arc. The Wildcats also took advantage of getting to the free throw line, hitting 24 of its 27 attempts from the charity stripe.
 
The Wildcats return home looking to get back in the win column on Thursday as Texas A&M-Texarkana comes to Pineville as Red River Athletic Conference action starts getting into full gear. Tip-off of Thursday's contest against the Eagles (4-3, 2-1 RRAC) is set for 7:30 p.m. at Gene Rushing Court at H.O. West Fieldhouse.