Pilots Pull Away in New Orleans, Top Xavier 82–59

NEW ORLEANS, La. – LSU Shreveport men's basketball turned a competitive first half into a dominant second-half showing Thursday night, pulling away for an 82–59 road victory over Xavier University of Louisiana to remain unbeaten in Red River Athletic Conference play.

The Pilots improved to 12–3 overall and 9–0 in RRAC action, while the Gold Rush dropped to 8–4 overall and 5–2 in conference.

Xavier struck first and briefly held a 7–4 advantage early in the opening half, but LSU Shreveport quickly settled in behind its defensive pressure and interior presence. After trading baskets through the first few minutes, the Pilots used back-to-back three-pointers from Thaddeus Johnson at the 14:59 and 14:08 marks to spark an 11–2 run, giving LSUS its first multi-possession lead at 14–9.

LSUS continued to build separation with energy on the glass and timely perimeter shooting. Devonte Austin knocked down a pair of three-pointers midway through the half, and the Pilots pushed their lead to 23–14 with just under 10 minutes remaining. Xavier trimmed the margin late, but a dunk by Soloman Ray in the final minute helped LSU Shreveport carry a 37–31 lead into halftime.

The Pilots seized control early in the second half. After Xavier cut the deficit to three at 37–34, Hayden Brittingham answered with consecutive baskets to halt the momentum. LSU Shreveport followed with a decisive run that included baskets from Alexzaye Johnson, James Johnson, and Ema Reyon McDonald, stretching the lead to 52–39 midway through the period.

From there, LSU Shreveport dominated both ends of the floor. The Pilots forced turnovers, controlled the paint, and capitalized on second-chance opportunities, extending the advantage to 63–41 with just over 10 minutes remaining. A pair of thunderous dunks from Khi Wallace off steals in transition energized the bench and pushed the margin to 69–47, effectively sealing the outcome.

LSUS built its largest lead of the night at 27 points late in the second half and cruised to the conference road win.

Brittingham led all scorers for the Pilots with 19 points, adding nine rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Thaddeus Johnson followed with 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Alexzaye Johnson chipped in 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals. James Johnson anchored the paint with 10 rebounds and two blocks.

LSU Shreveport finished the night shooting 44.6 percent from the field, holding Xavier to just 22.8 percent shooting, including 21.1 percent from three-point range. The Pilots outrebounded the Gold Rush 50–40 and outscored Xavier 42–16 in the paint.

For Xavier, Seviuhn Turner led the Gold Rush with 20 points and four rebounds, while Nasir DeGruy added 10 points. Jamal Gibson pulled down 11 rebounds in the loss.

LSU Shreveport will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 10, when the Pilots face North American University at 3 p.m. in Stafford, Texas.

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