Southeastern men’s basketball (15-9, 9-4 SLC) defeated Lamar (14-10, 9-4 SLC) at home, 81-79 on Monday, Feb. 3 before beating UIW (11-13, 4-9 SLC) on the road, 71-66 on Saturday, Feb. 8 in San Antonio. 

SLU has now won nine of its last 10 games and appears to be peaking at the right time in the thick of Southland Conference play. The Green and Gold are currently in a three-way tie for second place in the SLC and trail only McNeese (18-6, 12-1) in the league standings. 

SLU vs. Lamar

In a duel for second place in the Southland Conference, the Lions and Lamar took to the court at the Pride Roofing University Center in Hammond.

Senior guard Jakevion Buckley led the way, finishing the night with 19 points and nine rebounds against his former team. Buckley was not the only Lion on form at the University Center, as SLU had three other players score in the double digits (Jeremy Elyzee, 14, Jaiden Lawrence, 10, Sam Hines Jr., 15).

Junior forward Brody Rowbury has been a key component in the team’s success lately. Living up to this reputation, the 6-foot-11 forward grabbed an impressive season-high 15 rebounds. 

Head coach David Kiefer praised the team’s ability and the importance of rebounding after a lackluster performance a week ago against Houston Christian.

“I think we are 9-1 when we win the rebounding battle, so there’s a direct correlation,” Kiefer said. “This was just so huge; we had 17 offensive rebounds. Rowbury had nine himself.”

The Lions and Cardinals played a tightly contested battle, with both teams struggling to establish a comfortable lead. The back-and-forth game resulted in a nail-biting contest that kept Lions fans on the edge of their seats. 

Early in the match, fans were awarded a high-flying game, with both sides finishing off plays with points, thanks to a run at the end of the first half from senior guard Sam Hines Jr., who scored eight points for the Lions in the final minutes to help put themselves up 40-34 at the break. 

In the second half, the Lions and Cardinals went toe to toe. With time running out and the score tied at 69-69, the Cardinals went on a drought, turning the ball over multiple times, helping lead the Lions on an eight-point run to gain an advantage late. 

The Cardinals tried to make up for it with a couple of shots in the paint and a late 3-pointer, but it wasn’t enough, as the Lions just scraped out the win by two.

SLU vs. UIW

On Saturday night, Feb. 8 in San Antonio, Southeastern (15-9, 9-4 SLC) defeated Incarnate Word (11-13, 4-9 SLC) at the McDermott Center, 71-66. 

Buckley started for the Green and Gold, scoring a career-high 27 points and locking down UIW with three steals, enjoying his brief stay back in his home state of Texas. 

Hines recorded his fourth double-double of the season, posting 18 points and 11 rebounds as SLU continued to roll during its current hot streak. 

Trailing 66-64 with under a minute and a half to play, sophomore guard Kam Burton sank a clutch trey to put Southeastern on top for good, 67-66. 

The Lions ended the contest on a 7-point run over the final 1:27 of action to complete the season series sweep over the Cardinals. 

Southeastern will remain in the Lone Star State tonight when they take on Houston Christian (11-13, 8-5 SLC) at the Sharp Gymnasium. 

Action between SLU and HCU is currently underway in H-town. The game is being live streamed on ESPN+ and radio listeners can tune in to 90.9 The Lion. 

For all things Southeastern men’s basketball, stay posted to The Lion’s Roar.