EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice advanced in the Region 23 Tournament with a 58-46 victory over Mississippi Gulf Coast on Wednesday at the HPRE Center.  The Bengals (17-3) move on to Quarterfinal play where they will host 13-seed East Central on Monday at 6:00PM.
 
LSUE battled through a slow offensive start by ramping up its defense, forcing 25 turnovers in the game including eight in the first quarter alone.  Gulf Coast was held to 30 percent shooting from the field (18-for-60) and LSUE won the rebounding margin 36-35 despite the Bulldogs' size advantage.
 
After scoring just five points in the first 5:45 of the quarter, the Bengals offense would eventually come to life with a 15-3 run through the end of the first into the early stages of the second quarter, helping build a 14-point lead, 20-6.  Trinity Harold (Denham Springs, LA, Walker HS) played a critical role in the run, connecting on a pair of three pointers in the run.
 
Harold finished the game with 13 points, going 4-for-6 from three-point range.
 
Gulf Coast would respond with a run of its own, using a 10-0 spurt to close the gap and make it a 23-20 ballgame at intermission.
 
The second half would belong to the Bengals, specifically Alona Washington (Gonzales, LA, Ascension Christian HS).  The sophomore was held to just three points in the first half but finish an assist shy of a triple-double.  Washington poured in 14 points, lead the team with 14 rebounds and dish out nine assists to along with a team's best five steals.
 
LSUE used 15-4 run to start the second half and push its lead back to double digits with the Bengal advantage never dipping below six points for the remainder of the game. 
 
Tahjea Smith (Texas City, TX, Texas City HS) was the other Bengal to record a double-digit point effort, scoring 12 points with 9 rebounds.  Chelsey White (Port Allen, LA, Port Allen HS) made her presence felt inside with seven points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
 
The first round game was the first time in 14 years a postseason game was hosted on campus.