Box Score CLINTON, Miss. – After rolling through LCCAC play for a second straight year, LSU Eunice again suffered heartbreak in postseason play. The Bengals (18-4) went toe-to-toe with Mississippi Gulf Coast in their Region 23 first round game, only to run out of gas late in an 81-74 loss on Tuesday at the A.E. Wood Coliseum.
Basketball has long been considered a game of runs, and Tuesday's first round matchup proved that correct once again.
LSU Eunice would find itself down double-digits multiple times, only to rally back to get within striking distance. The Bengals would get within four, 58-54, with eight minutes to play before Mississippi Gulf Coast would use a strong final push to distance itself for good.
That would be a theme throughout the game as LSUE rallied from a ten-point hole in the first half to trail 30-28 at the break. The Bulldogs would come out of the locker rooms to see their lead swell to 11, only to see the Bengals get back in the game.
De'Asia Dixon (Shreveport, LA, Huntington HS) led the Bengals with 20 points in her final game at LSUE.
Sissy Saucier (Ragley, LA, South Beauregard HS) chipped in 14 points and
Ava Jones (Carencro, LA, Carencro HS) scored 19 points off the bench.
The Bulldogs size proved to be a factor, outrebounding LSUE 66-44 and holding the Bengals to just 25-for-78 shooting (32.1%). Kayla Simmons led Gulf Coast with 20 points on the afternoon.
It was LSUE that threw the first blow of the contest, getting out to a 7-3 lead before a 13-2 spurt by Gulf Coast put the Bulldogs up for good. The Bengals would never lead again in the game as Gulf Coast would also deploy a full court press that caused 23 turnovers.
The setback snapped LSUE's program record tying 16-game win streak.
