NEW ORLEANS, La. – LSU Eunice Men's Basketball continued its recent dominance in LCCAC play, escaping Delgado CC with a 62-59 victory on Wednesday at the Williamson Center. LSUE (13-6 overall, 5-0 LCCAC) won its 19th straight game in conference as the Bengals hold a two-game lead in the LCCAC standings halfway through the conference slate.
LSUE had to fight off a pesky Dolphins team as Delgado would lead by as many eight points in the first half.
Bryce Roberts (Bossier City, LA, Parkway HS) helped keep the Bengals in striking distance, scoring 11 of his team-high 16 points before intermission.
LSU Eunice would gain control of the game towards the end of the first half and beginning of the second. Trailing 26-18 with 4:51 in the half, the Bengals used a 10-2 spurt to go into the locker rooms tied 28-28. A quick 6-0 run after intermission capped off the 16-2 run, giving LSUE a 34-28 advantage.
The Bengals defense would play a pivotal role down the stretch, helping LSUE build as large as a 12-point cushion. LSUE would limit Delgado to just five points over a ten-minute span with an
Isaiah Payne (Ville Platte, LA, Pine Prairie HS) three-pointer with 5:42 left made it a 54-42 LSUE advantage.
A late charge by Delgado was held off as LSUE went 5-for-8 from the free throw in the final two minutes. The Dolphins missed a potential game tying three-pointer at the horn for LSUE to preserve the victory.
Isaiah Payne scored in double figures for the seventh straight game, tallying 14 points.
Magok Manyang (Adelaide, Australia, Trinity College HS) (11 points, 8 rebounds) and
Jordan Hayes (Grand Prairie, TX, Mansfield Lake Ridge HS) (9 points, 12 rebounds) both flirted with double-doubles.
LSUE will return home on Saturday to take on Southern-Shreveport at the HPRE Center. Tip-off on the Cajun Prairie is slated for 4:00PM and can be seen live on the LSUE Digital Network presented by Opelousas General Health.
