The nationally-ranked teams prevailed Tuesday night at The Fort in a high-level Red River Athletic Conference basketball doubleheader that was highlighted by the LSUA men locking down their second straight regular-season conference championship.
The No. 2-ranked Generals overpowered Xavier with a massive 34-5 run sandwiched around halftime. The 18th-ranked Xavier women scored 12 straight points in the fourth quarter to push away from the LSUA women in the opening contest.
LSUA is back in action on Thursday at home as Our Lady of the Lake visits for a 5:30 women’s game, followed by the men at 7:30, in The Fort.
LSUA MEN 81, XAVIER 62: The Generals (23-1, 20-1 RRAC) are the first team in the NAIA to earn an automatic bid to the postseason. The victory is LSUA’s 17th consecutive win.
“To do what we’ve done the last two years, I give credit to God, to coach Dwayne (Harmason), to coach Alyssa (Harmason), everyone that’s been a part of this program,” LSUA coach Dimario Jackson said. “It’s work. One of the hardest things to do is win the regular season because it’s such a long season. So many things change, a lot happens. Kudos to our guys for answering the challenge.”
Kashie Natt posted a career-high 32 points and added 10 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season. Jordan Decuir tallied 14 points, while EJ McQuillan recorded 13.
The first half was tightly contested as neither team could wrest control. Xavier (17-7, 16-6 RRAC) built a 25-17 lead before LSUA closed the half on a 23-5 run to go up 40-30.
The Generals took over by scoring the first 11 points after the break as Natt scored six and McQuillan had the other five. Another burst of 11 unanswered points built a 34-point spread with under five minutes remaining.
XAVIER WOMEN 61, LSUA 50: The Generals lost for the first time in nine games as the offense went cold, making just 2 of 11 shots in the fourth quarter, and the visitors took control in the closing minutes.
“When you play a good team like that you have to play four quarters,” LSUA coach Billy Perkins said. “We played about three quarters and four minutes. We’ll hopefully rebound be better the next game.”
Dannah Martin-Hartwick topped the Generals (19-6, 16-5 RRAC) with 12 points but LSUA faltered in the fourth quarter against the Gold Nuggets (24-1, 21-1 RRAC) after a back-and-forth battle. The Generals had an early nine-point lead and the visitors’ final margin was their largest as there were four lead changes and a narrow margin most of the game.
LSUA led 47-45 early in the final period before a 12-0 run for the Gold Nuggets vaulted XULA to a 10-point lead, 57-47, with just three minutes left in regulation.