PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University men’s basketball team held Centenary to just 26% shooting and under 50 points in a game that counted for the first time since January 2009 as the Wildcats rode their defense to a 62-46 win over the Gents Tuesday evening at H.O. West Fieldhouse. 

The Wildcats nearly the entire game, only falling behind in the opening moments as Centenary made a pair of free throws on the Gents’ opening possession to take a 2-0 lead. Jude Akabueze emphatically tied the game at 2-2 on LCU’s ensuing possession. A few possessions later, Ferontay Banks hit a three-pointer to put the Wildcats up 5-2 and LCU would not give up the lead again in the contest. 

A good portion of the first half would go basket-for-basket as the Gents could cut the Wildcats lead to one point, only to see the Wildcats get a bucket on the opposite end to push the lead back out to three. But that trend ended as the clock ticked into the last ten minutes of the first half as Malik Cooper hit a pair of free throws that sent LCU on a 14-0 run that turned a 13-12 game into a 27-12 Wildcats lead after Kae’ron Baker sank a mid-range jumper with 4:45 left before the break. LCU took a 32-19 lead to the halftime locker room. 

After scoring the final two points in the first half, Centenary came out hot to close the gap at the start of the second half while the Wildcats faced some early struggles out of the break. That allowed the Gents to go on a 9-0 that started with those final two first half points and three and a half minutes into the second half to cut the LCU lead down to 32-26. 

The Wildcats tried to pull away again, getting the lead back up to 13 points after another Kae’ron Baker three made the score 43-30. But the Gents started to pull the gap back again, cutting the LCU lead back down to six points with less than 6:30 remaining at 45-39. 

On LCU’s ensuing possession after Centenary made it a six-point game, Malik Cooper was able to get to the rim for a lay-up thanks to a pass from Baker, a scene that replayed itself on LCU’s next possession, and the Wildcats were off on the game-sealing run. The 17-2 run ended with Kylan Williams scoring at the rim with just more than a minute left to make the score 62-41, and the game cruised to its end from there. 

Ten Wildcats scored in the contest as LCU used a balanced attack to knock off the Gents. Jude Akabueze led all LCU scorers with 11 points that included two highlight dunks while he also emphatically blocked two Gents shots. Akabueze was also credited with five rebounds, a steal, and an assist. Kae’ron Baker and Malik Cooper both finished with ten points apiece. Baker added eight assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Cooper also contributed eight rebounds and four assists. Ferontay Banks was teetering with a double-double, finishing with seven points and a team-high nine rebounds. 

LCU shot 47.3% from the field in the contest, including a solid 35.3% from above the newly extended three-point arc. Centenary finished the game hitting just 26.1% of its shots and just 9.5% from above the arc. The Gents took better advantage of second chance opportunities, outscoring the Wildcats 16-5 in second change points. 

The Wildcats (4-3) have the rest of the week off before returning to action the day before Thanksgiving in an exhibition contest against Grambling State. Tip-off against the Tigers (0-3) is set for 12:00 P.M. on Wednesday, November 24^th at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center. 

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PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana College football team had itself in position to come out of its first ever Sooner Athletic Conference contest with a victory, but saw it slip away late as Southwestern Assemblies of God University scored a touchdown with five seconds left to drop the Wildcats in the SAC opener 20-13 to the Lions Saturday night at Wildcat Field. 

The name of the game for most of the contest was defense as both teams struggled to get moving offensively. The Wildcats struck first in the second quarter as LC took advantage of an 18-yard punt that set the Wildcats up on SAGU’s side of the field, moving into the red zone before calling on Hunter Martensson from 36 yards out, which he converted to give LC a 3-0 lead. 

But just about five minutes later, a SAGU offense that had been stymied for most of the first half hit on one big play, a 44-yard touchdown pass to take the lead with 8:30 to go before halftime, even as Gerald Burton blocked the point after attempt to keep the score at 6-3, which would be the halftime score. 

Midway through the third quarter, the Wildcats knotted the game back up. Canaan Leon took an handoff on an end around play and ran for 43 yards to set up the Wildcats inside the Lion red zone again. However, the drive would stall and Martensson drilled a field goal attempt from 30 yards to even the score at 6-6. 

With the game tied and now in the final 15 minutes, the Wildcats took the advantage first. After a quick three-and-out by the Lions deep in their own territory, a 29-yard punt set up LC at the SAGU 37. And all it took was one play for Devin Briscoe to get around the right edge, break two tackles, and stroll into the end zone to make it 13-6 LC with 11:42 left in the game. 

But on the Lions first offensive play following the Briscoe score, SAGU connected on a 32-yard pass to begin a seven-play drive that ended with a 22-yard touchdown pass to even the score back up at 13-13 with just more than eight minutes left in regulation. 

Both teams started to struggle moving the ball again as a light rain fell over Wildcat Field. But field position became a big ally to SAGU as a personal foul penalty following a punt backed up the Wildcats deep. A quick three-and-out and a 16-yard punt set up the Lions deep in LC territory with less than a minute left. And SAGU took advantage of the opportunity, going on a three-play drive that ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass with just five seconds left in the game to snatch the victory in the contest. 

Devin Briscoe led LC’s attack on the ground with 16 rush attempts for 107 yards and a score. Canaan Leon had three rushes for 64 yards. The Wildcats as a team rushed for 244 yards in the contest. 

It wasn’t the best of games through the air for the Wildcats as Sal Palermo III went six of 19 for 59 yards and an interception before leaving the game in the third quarter. James Powell, Jr. came in and went two of 12 for 46 yards. Canaan Leon added two receptions for 22 yards to his rushing and special teams totals to finish the night with 87 all-purpose yards. Tayvien Cole had a 42-yard reception to make him the top receiver in terms of yards gained. 

Cole Jones was all over the place for the Wildcats defense, finishing the contest with 13 total tackles, seven solo and six assisted. 2.5 of his tackles happened behind the Lions line of scrimmage for a loss of yards, recovered a fumble, and broke up a pass. D’Mario Weathersby had five tackles, one for loss. Tyren Young forced the fumble that Jones recovered, and Bennie Clark III picked off the Lions QB. 

The Wildcats (0-2, 0-1 SAC) head on the road for the first time in 2021 for their final non-conference contest of the season, a date with NCAA D-I FCS team Abilene Christian. Kickoff between the LC Wildcats and ACU Wildcats (0-1) is set for 6:00 P.M. at Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium. 

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PINEVILLE, La. – With the start of the 2021 Louisiana College football season, its first in the NAIA and Sooner Athletic Conference, just less than two months away, the Louisiana College football team announced its 2021 schedule and season ticket pricing plans, which go on sale immediately. 

“To say Coach Mason and I are excited about this next chapter in the history of Louisiana College athletics would be an understatement,” said Louisiana College President, Dr. Rick Brewer. “Returning to the NAIA brings with it athletic scholarship, familiar opponents, an enhanced student and fan experience, and opportunities for competing for national championships in all sports. I am confident we will field a competitive football team this year under the leadership of Coach Drew Maddox. Claws Up!” 

“I am really ready to see how much more we have grown as a program,” said Louisiana College Head Football Coach Drew Maddox. “Going into a new conference has its pros and cons, but we are really just ready to see if we can be more consistent and get better everyday.” 

LC’s first season in the NAIA begins on August 28 with a pair of home games to open a six-game slate at Wildcat Field, the first being a non-conference contest against a team that could become a more familiar opponent, North American University out of Houston, Texas. 

That’s followed the next week by the Wildcats’ first foray into the Sooner Athletic Conference as the Lions of Southwestern Assemblies of God University comes to Wildcat Field for a night contest. 

The next week starts the first of two long road trips as well as the final non-conference game of the season and the only game against the NCAA Division I opponent as LC heads to Abilene, Texas for a Wildcat battle against Abilene Christian on September 11. Following the game at ACU, the schedule fills out with the rest of the SAC schedule. 

“Let the NAIA era begin,” said Louisiana College Athletic Director and Head Men’s Basketball Coach Reni Mason. “I have full confidence in Coach Maddox and his staff. They have shown the ability to be diligent and consistent in their approach to recruiting, player development, and game preparation. The future is very bright for the Wildcats.” 

The longest road trip of the season comes on September 18 as the Wildcats head to Glendale, Arizona to take on the defending SAC Champion, Arizona Christian. 

Following two long road trips, LC comes home for two straight games, the first against Ottawa of Arizona on September 25 and then the Aggies of Oklahoma Panhandle State come to Wildcat Field on October 2. 

After the lone bye week of the season, the Wildcats return to action on the road at Wayland Baptist in Plainview, Texas on October 16. That’s followed by another road game in Fort Worth, Texas against the Texas Wesleyan Rams. 

A brief home respite sees the Langston Lions come to Wildcat Field on October 30 to close out the spooky month. That’s followed by a road trip to Arkansas for a battle with the Lyon Scots. The regular season ends on November 13 at home as LC welcomes the Texas College Steers to Wildcat Field. 

The 66^th Annual NAIA Championship Series starts the following week, on November 20, with a national champion decided. On December 18 at a site still to be announced. 

Season tickets are on sale now. All season ticket seats are in the chairback seat section of Wildcat Field. With cash or check, the cost is $100 for two tickets to all six home games with checks made payable to Louisiana College Athletics. Credit card customers can pay by visiting the ticket pricing page on the athletics website where the price is $115 for a pair of season tickets. At the gate, the price for admission to a game is one flat rate of $15. 

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PINEVILLE, La. – For the first time since the transition to NAIA became official, the Louisiana College men’s soccer team will host an ID camp to help players develop their skills while giving coaches a chance to see who could be in the next set of Wildcat players. 

The ID camp will take place on July 31^st at Wildcat Field and will run from 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. with check-in starting 30 minutes prior to the start of the camp. 

The camp is open to boys from the 8^th to 12^th grades and will have numerous drills designed to help improve player skills. At the end of the camp, lunch will be provided, and the athletes will get a chance to tour the Louisiana College campus. 

Players are asked to bring their own personal equipment; including cleats, shin guards, water bottles, and all other gear needed to play. The event is being held on artificial turf, so turf safe cleats are required. 

Pre-registration can be done online at the link below for $80, or you can register at the field on the day of the camp for $100. 

Link to pre-register: https://www.lcwildcats.net/registrations/#!/camp/1 

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