EUNICE, La. – The LSU Eunice Men's Basketball sophomores were honored before the game then proceeded to dominate it after the opening tip.  A trio of Bengal sophomores led LSUE (17-6, 9-0 LCCAC) to a 76-70 victory over Southern-Shreveport on Wednesday to close out the regular season.
 
LSUE pushed its current win streak to 11 games and its conference win streak to 23 games as it enters the Region 23 Tournament.  The Bengals will be the 5th seed in the 19-team tournament and host Hinds Community College on Monday, February 28 at 7:30PM in second round play.
 
The Bengals would use a pair of 10-0 spurts to separate themselves from the Jaguars.  An early double-digit run would help give LSUE an early lead before SUSLA would fight back to make the game 36-33 at half. 
 
A similar 10-point streak out of the locker rooms pushed LSUE's back to double digits as it would swell to as large as 16, 46-33.  The Bengals would see SUSLA chip away at that lead, whittling it down to four points with under two minutes left.
 
Isaiah Payne (Ville Platte, LA, Pine Prairie HS) would ice the game for LSUE, sinking 5 of 6 free throws in the final two minutes to keep the Jaguars at bay.
 
The Pine Prairie product, along with Alonzo Linton (Lynn, MA, Lynn English HS), shouldered LSUE's load for the duration of the game.  Payne would continue to be a double-digit scoring machine, dropping 19 points, while Linton continued his hot streak with a season's best 20 points. 
 
Linton netted 3-for-9 from three-point range while also grabbing six rebounds.  Jordan Hayes (Grand Prairie, TX, Mansfield Lake Ridge HS) would again flirt with a triple-double, tallying eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Magok Manyang (Adelaide, Australia, Trinity College HS) turned in a solid performance inside, scoring 13 points and grabbing five rebounds.

Payne, Linton, Hayes and Moses Nuangki (Adelaide, Australia, Carlisle School (VA)) were recognized before the game as part of the Sophomore Day festivities.