Monday November 1, 2021: Men's Basketball
Baton Rouge, LA
If tonight's Baton Rouge Men's Basketball game is any indication of how the 2021-22 season will go, Bears fans we are in for one wild ride. The Baton Rouge Bears lose a heartbreaker, in overtime, 77 to 76 to the Southwest Mississippi Bears.
In the first half, it was a sluggish game while neither team could find their rhythm on the offensive end of the floor. Baton Rouge would score first with a free throw by red-shirt freshman, from Little Rock, Kaevon Jones. Southwest would finally get on the board with a three pointer with 15:51 left in the half. Southwest would go on to make three- three pointers over the next four minutes to take a 14 to 10 lead with 11 minutes to play. The game would be tied four times and would see six lead changes, in the first half. The first half can be summed up with both teams relying on the long ball for their points and both teams struggling to find their stride on the offensive end of the floor. At the half, Baton Rouge held a slim 34 to 33 lead over Southwest.
The second half was a bit like the first half. It was a back-and-forth game with 5 ties and 5 lead changes. Neither team held a larger than four-point advantage, in the second half. Baton Rouge had a 64 to 62 lead after Jayhlon Young sank two free throws with 34.2 seconds left. Baton Rouge had a chance to ice the game, but Jordan Randall hit only one of two free throws with 22.2 seconds left. Southwest would scramble offensively at the end of regulation and would hit a three pointer with .3 seconds left in the game to tie the ball game and send it into overtime.
In overtime, Southwest came out aggressive and was very active on the boards, while Baton Rouge was settling for quick and long shots. With 2:46 left in overtime, Southwest led 72 to 65. The Bears would cut the lead to 3 with 34.9 seconds to play when Kaevon Jones would make one of two free throws, 76-73. Southwest would make one of two free throws to take a 77 to 73 lead with 7.4 seconds. Reginald Gause would bank in a long three pointers at the buzzer for Baton Rouge to close the gap to 77 to 76.
It was a wild and electric night, in the Bears Den, to open the 2021-22 basketball season but unfortunately, Baton Rouge Bears would fall to the Southwest Mississippi Bears 77 to 76.
E. Lacey led Southwest with 12 points. Baton Rouge was led in scoring by Reginal Gause who scored 19 points off the bench for the Bears.
This was the fourteenth battle of the Bears on the hardwood between Baton Rouge and Southwest. Baton Rouge holds the series record with 8 wins, while Southwest has 6.
With the victory the Southwest Mississippi Bears improve to 1-0 while the Baton Rouge Bears fall to 0-1.
Bears Highlights:
Reginald Gause led the Bears with 19 points, which included 5- 3 pointers
Jayhlon Young added 18 points
Kaevon Jones and JaQualon Lovette each added 11 points.
The Bears will be back in action Wednesday November 3, 2021, as they travel to Poplarville, Mississippi to take on the Pearl River Wildcats at 6 pm in Marvin R. White Coliseum.
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