On February 22, the Southeastern men’s basketball (18-10, 12-5 SLC) team defeated East Texas A&M (ETAMU) (3-25, 1-16 SLC) on Senior Night in the University Center, making the 83-65 triumph even sweeter.

Before the game, senior players Ryan Elzy, Max Brackmann, Carlos Paez, Jakevion Buckley, Sam Hines Jr. and team manager Jamar Grant were honored by Head Coach David Kiefer. 

Coach Kiefer said he was satisfied with the team’s performance and highlighted the team’s focus on the court during its second-to-last home game. 

“I feel really good. I thought our guys locked in the whole game and their preparation leading up to the game was really good. It’s just good to be on the winning side of things, especially on Senior Day for these seniors getting their last home weekend game,” Kiefer said.

The Lions had a strong showing of free throws in the first half, making 78% of their shots. In the second half, they shot 66.67% from the line but improved their three-point shooting from 28% to 36%. This helped them maintain their dominance, and with Hines Jr.’s free throw, the Lions went into halftime with a 43-32 lead over ETAMU. 

Hines reflected on his Senior Night success and shared the goals he hopes to achieve before the end of the season. 

“I feel great on Senior Night to get a win for all the seniors. I just want to continue improving my free-throw percentage and my three-point percentage, and also get my rebounds up as well. Defensively, I’ve been pretty good, but I’m also trying to get that Defensive Player of the Year award,” Hines said.

During the night, Buckley led the team in scoring with 21 points and seven assists, followed by freshman forward Jeremy Elyzee with 20 points. Brody Rowbury added 15 points, while Hines and Paez scored 14 and 10 points each.

Buckley also dominated the boards with eight rebounds, while Hines and sophomore guard Kyle Edison each grabbed five. Elyzee, Paez and junior guard Jaiden Lawrence finished with three rebounds apiece. 

For the upcoming games, Coach Kiefer said his goal is to continue making progress and stay focused on every play. 

“We want to make sure we are the most laser-focused team in the conference. We want to be the most aggressive team on offense and defense and make the fewest mistakes,” Kiefer said. 

The Lions ended their home schedule against Northwestern State on Monday night, losing 72-69 at the University Center. Southeastern will play on the road versus Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UTRGV for the final stretch of the regular season. 

The Southland Conference Tournament will be March 9-12 at McNeese in Lake Charles, where the Lions currently sit as the third seed.

For more information, check the team schedule and stay posted to The Lion’s Roar.