SUMMIT, Ms. –  LSU Eunice would get within striking distance put get never get over the hump as Southwest Mississippi handed the Bengals an 87-58 setback.  The game was LSUE's first of two in the Coca-Cola Classic on the campus of Southwest Mississippi.
 
The Bengals found itself in an early first half hole as the Bears raced out to a nine-point lead.  LSUE would claw back, getting the game to 20-17 midway through the half and would go into the locker rooms down five, 34-29.
 
Caleb Starks (Lafayette, LA, Lafayette Christian HS) paced the LSUE offense in the first half, scoring six of his team's best 16 points.  Starks made his LSUE debut after sitting out the first few weeks of the season with an injury.
 
The Bengals would continue to fight after intermission, getting the deficit to two points with fifteen minutes to play.  Another scoring drought would spell doom of the Bengals.  Southwest would build as large as a 21-point edge in the next six minutes to make it a 61-40 game.
 
TJ Ben paced the Bears with 17 points off the bench as four Southwest players recorded double figures.
 
Kaedrick Williams (Ruston, LA, Lincoln Prep HS) scored all eight of his points after half as the Bengals only had six players score after half.
 
LSU Eunice will try to rebound at the Coca-Cola Classic today as the Bengals play Chipola College at 3:00PM.