JOURNAL SPORTS
On the heels of two high-energy homecourt wins Friday and Saturday nights, the LSU Shreveport men’s basketball team heads to Kansas City today for the Sweet 16 of the NAIA National Tournament.
Fans and campus personnel will see the Pilots off at 9 a.m. as they make their way north for Friday’s game against No. 4 seed Ave Maria (Fla.).
The Pilots program has made 21 appearances in the national tournament final site, including four of the past five years in which NAIA men’s basketball has held the first rounds at host sites other than Kansas City.
No matter the format, LSUS has been a regular in Kansas City since the program started in 2003-04.
Head coach Kyle Blankenship, who took over in 2012-13 as coach after playing as a Pilot in the mid 2000s, has been the coach for all three of LSUS’s Elite Eight appearances (2012, 2013, 2018) and both of the Fab Four teams (2013, 2018).
A win Friday for the Pilots (28-5) against Ave Maria (28-4) will send LSUS to a fourth Elite Eight in program history.
LSUS fended off both of its opponents as a host in the opening round subregional hosted on campus this past weekend, beating No. 15 seed Tougaloo 93-84 Friday night and No. 10 seed Texas Wesleyan 70-66 Saturday evening at The Docks.
The Pilots built a 21-point lead over Texas Wesleyan early in the second half, but the final minutes got tense before the Pilots secured the victory.
The Pilots were led by Khi Wallace’s 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.
LSUS’ Thaddeaus Johnson added 15 points, while Emareyon McDonald scored 13. In Friday’s victory, Alexzaye Johnson led the way with 23 points.
Ave Maria (28-4), which also hosted a subregional, bested No. 14 seed Texas A&M-Texarkana (84-62) and No. 6 Friends (108-102). LSUS swept three games with Texarkana, winning by 3 on the road, by 18 at home and by 15 in the conference tournament in Alexandria.
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