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The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Lions crush Champion Baptist in home opener

    The Lion basketball team (2-1) came out strong for the start of the season and surpassed the century mark in the home opener against the Champion Baptist Tigers (0-5) by a score of 108-54.
    From the start, the Lions took the lead on the scoreboard and never looked back. By the end of the first half, the score was 54-27, which was followed by an identical score by both teams in the second half. Jim Yarbrough, head basketball coach, was proud of how the team performed so early in the season.
    “We played pretty hard in a game where we could have gotten sloppy,” said Yarbrough. “We played pretty hard defensively. We were able to take the defense and turn it into good quick baskets, and that broke the game open. We shared the ball. Dre Evans had [career-best] 10 assists tonight. We were really looking for each other, and we were able to get the ball inside and pretty much do whatever we needed to, which was great.”
    Overall 11 Lion players saw action in the game, all taking the opportunity to score, and the Lions shot at 60 percent (39-for-65) against the Tigers.
    Four players saw double figures in scoring. Junior forward/center Devonte Upson made a double-double, scoring 13 points and contributing a game-high 10 rebounds. Junior guard JaMichael Hawkins led all players with 19 points. Junior forward Onochie Ochie contributed 18 points, and freshman guard Joshua Filmore scored 15 points.
    Ochie attributed the win to the Lions’ intensity during the game.
    “Coach told us to come out and have intensity on offense and defense,” said Ochie. “Just playing hard and not playing down to the competition. We’re a very talented team, so if we play intense and hard 100 percent of the time, we’re hard to beat.”
    Filmore, a newcomer to the team, said it was the their teamwork that gave them the edge over their opponents. Out of Orlando, Fla., Filmore already averages 9.3 points per game.
    “We were moving the ball,” said Filmore. “We were sharing it. We were unselfish. We fought hard on defense. We didn’t give anything up easy, and we made them fight for every shot they made.”
    With one loss and two straight wins so far this season, Yarbrough sees several things to work on with the team over the coming weeks.
    “It’s a very interesting start,” said Yarbrough. “We opened up against Missouri and played OK for about 10 minutes, and then we lost control of it and really got overwhelmed. Then we came back against a mid-major school like Rice and scratched out a win. This one’s a very low level, not even a Division I, but a good tune-up game where a lot of guys get to play. So we have kind of seen the whole gamete. It’s been a good week for us, and we know that we’ve got to continue to get a lot better though. It’s just the first week. I still see a lot of issues. A lot of new guys trying to figure out how to play together out there, but a pretty good week.”
    This week the Lions will travel to Louisiana State University to take on the Tigers on Friday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m.
    “I’m not worried about LSU per say,” said Yarbrough. “I mean, honestly, we have to get ready for them. We have to know their personnel, but it’s all about us getting better as a team. The things I’m seeing out there, not letting any of it go to waste and learning how to get better together. It’s another big SEC school. A lot of big SEC athletes. We have to be able to play tough and contend and see if we can play with a group like that.”
    The game against LSU will be broadcast  live on KSLU 90.9 FM.
     

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