Pilots Squeeze Out Two-Point Victory in Season Opener
November 02, 2007
Waxahachie, Texas – The LSUS Pilots men’s basketball team pulled out a dramatic 88-86 victory over Paul Quinn College in their season opener on Friday night.
A three-point attempt by Paul Quinn’s Johnathan Alexander bounced off the back of the rim as time expired, and the Pilots narrowly escaped an upset with a two-point victory.
With just over five minutes left to play in the contest, NAIA Preseason All-American Josh Porter put the Pilots on his shoulders and exploded for 12 points over the next minute of action.
Porter connected on four consecutive three-point baskets over a one minute span to give the Pilots a six point lead and one they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
With 3.8 seconds left on the clock, LSUS had the opportunity to extend their lead to three points at the free throw line, but a miss on the back-end of a one-and-one allowed Paul Quinn one more chance to pull the upset.
Paul Quinn grabbed the rebound after the missed free throw and raced up the court and fired an uncontested three-pointer for the win just a bit long.
Porter led all scorers with 25 points, while fellow senior Travis Cash added 16 points and 9 rebounds.
Junior Chris Wafer logged some big minutes in the second half, finishing the game with 9 points and 9 rebounds.
The Pilots outrebounded the Tigers 58-38 in the contest.
The difference in tonight’s game was at the charity stripe. LSUS finished the game shooting 79% from the line, while Paul Quinn was just 12 for 26 (46%).
LSUS with have very little time to rest and enjoy tonight’s victory as they return to action tomorrow night to face tournament host Southwest Assemblies of God University.
Tip-off is set for 6:00 PM.
