TEXARKANA, Texas – The Louisiana Christian University men's basketball team got 20-plus points from Justice Kelly for the second-straight contest, but it was enough to overcome ball security issues in a 74-66 loss to the Texas A&M-Texarkana Eagles Saturday afternoon at the Patterson Student Center.
 
Louisiana Christian (4-17, 2-19 RRAC) was in a hole early as Texas A&M-Texarkana (13-7, 10-5 RRAC) scored the game's first 10 points before Tomario Thomas, Jr. hit a three to get LCU on the board.
 
The Wildcats trailed by as many as 11 points during the first 20 points, falling behind 22-11 with 9:45 left before halftime. However, LCU responded with a 13-2 run to tie the score back up as Kelly scored while being fouled and converted the free throw for the old-fashioned three-point play to even things up at 24-24 with 5:19 left in the half.
 
However, TAMUT answered that by scoring the next 10 points to go up 34-24. Thomas, Jr. hit back-to-back threes to cut it back down to four before an Eagle three with just seconds left on the clock to send the teams into the locker room with A&M-Texarkana leading 37-30.
 
After TAMUT scored the first basket of the second half, a jumper by Jalani Bell started a 7-0 LCU run with Ja'Vonte Thomas tapping back in a missed shot which cut the deficit to two points, 39-37, with 16 minutes remaining.
 
After the two teams traded baskets with a Thomas, Jr. jumper making it 41-39 Eagles, A&M-Texarkana went on a 15-5 run to claim its largest lead of the contest at 56-44.
 
LCU did not go quietly as a jumper by Kelly started an 8-0 Wildcat run with Bell hitting a three-pointer with 7:45 to go which made it a four-point game at 56-52. That's as close as the Wildcats would get the rest of the way as TAMUT scored the next five to go back up nine. LCU got as close as five points after that, only to see the Eagles double the lead over the next few possessions and make enough free throws in the closing moments to negate a possible Wildcat comeback.
 
Kelly hit seven of his 15 shot attempts, including a three-pointer, and made all seven of his free throw attempts on his way to 22 points, his second-straight game hitting the 20-point mark after scoring 28 on Thursday at LSU Shreveport. He also grabbed six rebounds and gave out an assist in the contest.
 
Thomas, Jr. came off the bench to score 16 points. Three of his six made shots came from above the three-point arc. He also grabbed a rebound, gave out an assist, and came up with a steal.
 
Bell finished with 13 points, hitting four shots, three of which came from deep. He also had a rebound, an assist, and a steal.
 
Drew Tebbe was on the cusp of a triple-double, finishing the game with 10 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Two of his three made buckets were from long distance.
 
The difference in the contest was turnovers as Louisiana Christian turned it over 13 times which resulted in 18 Eagle points while A&M-Texarkana committed just six turnovers which led to only two LCU points.
 
The Wildcats come home for four of the next five, starting on Thursday as Jarvis Christian comes to Pineville. Tip-off of Thursday's contest against the Bulldogs (9-10, 6-9 RRAC) is set for 7:30 p.m. on Gene Rushing Court at H.O. West Fieldhouse.