From 40-foot threes to transition dunks, the Lions did it all in their 77-67 win over the University of New Orleans on Feb. 24 at the Pride Roofing University Center.
Southeastern’s domination of the Privateers brought their record to 14-14 (9-6 SLC) on the season. The Lions have been one of the hottest teams in the Southland Conference, winning seven out of their last eight games.
With the victory, SLU punched its ticket into the 2024 Jersey Mike’s Southland Basketball Championship tournament in Lake Charles. The Green and Gold are SLC Tourney bound after a heinous 7-13 start.
Senior guard/forward Nick Caldwell has been on a heater; he scored 20 out of his 22 points in the first half to notch his fourth straight game of 20-plus points and his ninth this season.
With time expiring in the first half, Caldwell launched a 40-foot three-pointer. Fans and teammates rose in anticipation as the shot hit its apex. As the horn blasted and the backboard lit up, the ball swished through the net, which sent the entire PRUC into an uproar.
Caldwell’s shot gave Southeastern a 43-25 lead heading into halftime with all of the momentum.
The Prairieville native scored a career-high 30 points a game ago against Lamar University on Feb. 19; however, it came in a brutal 77-72 overtime loss. This time around, Caldwell’s efforts gave the Lions a win.
Junior guard Roger McFarlane dropped 16 out of his 18 points in the second half and pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds. The Florida native is averaging 15 points and 11.7 rebounds per game over the last four contests.
McFarlane’s dunk with 17:38 remaining in the second half gave SLU a commanding 47-31 lead over the Privateers and ignited his scoring outburst to stave off UNO.
Freshman guard Kam Burton scored 15 points and knocked down a career-high five triples against UNO. Senior point guard Roscoe Eastmond added 10 points and eight assists.
UNO’s guard Tyson Jackson started the game on fire; he scored five points and nabbed a steal in the opening minutes of the ballgame. Backing Jackson was teammate Jordan Johnson, who also had five points and nailed a three-pointer.
Caldwell kept pace with the Privateers’ early offense. He scored Southeastern’s first 11 points after a three-minute scoring drought to start the match.
A three from Burton with 8:55 left to play in the first half gave the Green and Gold a 19-17 advantage. The Lions never looked back and held onto their lead for the rest of the game.
SLU will look to continue their good fortune on the road against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (17-10, 10-4 SLC) on March 2. The Islanders are winners of three straight and sit in second place in the SLC standings.
Tune in on ESPN+ at 3:30 to watch the game. As always, visit The Lion’s Roar for more coverage of Lions basketball.
