LSU Shreveport Defeats Texas Wesleyan, 70-66, to Advance to NAIA Round of 16

SHREVEPORT, La. – LSU Shreveport men's basketball punched its ticket to the final site of the NAIA Men's Basketball Championship with a 70-66 victory over Texas Wesleyan University in the Second Round on Saturday night.

With the win, the Pilots improve to 28-5 overall and advance to the Round of 16 in Kansas City, Kansas, which will be played at Municipal Auditorium. LSUS will learn its next opponent for the national tournament's final site, scheduled for Thursday, March 19.

LSU Shreveport controlled much of the contest and built a 20-point lead early in the second half, but Texas Wesleyan mounted a late push to make the final minutes tense before the Pilots secured the victory.

The Pilots were led by Khi Wallace, who recorded a dominant double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Wallace made several key plays down the stretch, including a powerful dunk with 1:41 remaining that helped keep LSUS ahead as the Rams closed the gap.

Thaddeus Johnson added 15 points and three rebounds, while Emareyon McDonald finished with 13 points and three rebounds, including a crucial three-pointer midway through the second half that pushed the Pilots' lead back to double digits.

Hayden Brittingham nearly recorded a double-double with 10 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, while Alexzaye Johnson contributed across the stat sheet with six rebounds and four assists, along with a free throw in the closing seconds that helped seal the win.

LSUS built early momentum in the second half behind Wallace, who scored repeatedly in the paint and on second-chance opportunities to extend the Pilots' lead to 47-26 with 19:26 remaining.

Texas Wesleyan steadily chipped away at the deficit behind strong performances from DaeVon Scott and Montez Young, Jr., who each scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Rams. The pair helped spark a late rally that cut the Pilots' lead to just four points in the final minute.

Despite the surge, LSU Shreveport maintained its composure down the stretch. Johnson converted two free throws with just over a minute remaining to push the lead to six, and the Pilots secured key defensive rebounds in the closing seconds to hold off the Rams.

LSUS controlled the interior throughout the game, outscoring Texas Wesleyan 36-24 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle 32-27. The Pilots also capitalized on Rams mistakes, turning turnovers into 18 points while committing just 10 turnovers themselves.

Daniel Oravbiere and Anthony Sierras each added nine points for Texas Wesleyan, with Oravbiere also tallying six rebounds and three blocks.

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