Could lightning strike twice for the Seahawks? Yes. And in the same spot.
Sophomore Nathan Bailey pulled up for his second straight game-winning basket, hitting his latest against Kilgore College on Monday with 4.4 seconds left, lifting Lamar State College Port Arthur to another heart-stopping NJCAA Region 14 win in a 72-70 decision.
Bailey, a sophomore transfer from LSU-Alexandria, hit the game-winning 3-pointer against Trinity Valley Community College on Saturday night, then got the call again Monday as freshman Terrance Minor drove to the interior of the Kilgore defense before dishing out his biggest assist of the season to Bailey on the left side. His shot hit the left side of the rim then scooted into the net for the two-point advantage.
The Hawks are now 11-5 overall for the season and 3-2 in NJCAA Region 14 play. Kilgore falls to 12-3 overall and 3-1 in league play.
"I wasn't necessarily the target," Bailey said. "When Remy (Minor) drove, I just popped out and got open. You have to give him a lot of credit for seeing the floor and knowing I was out there open for the shot."
The Seahawks had trailed by as many as 19 points in the first half, suffering at the hands of the 3-point shooters from Kilgore. The Rangers hit seven from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes, four coming from Darrian Grays.
The Seahawks managed to cut the Kilgore lead to single digits early in the second half but the Rangers reinvigorated its offensive push, getting back out to double figures with an 11-point lead at 57-46 with 10:58 left in the game.
The Hawks went to work on defense, forcing multiple turnovers late, turning those into points down the stretch.
Finally, with 1:14 left in the game, Minor picked up a steal, drew the foul and hit two free throws to give the Seahawks the lead at 70-69. It was the first time since the 12:36 mark of the first half that the Hawks had control on the scoreboard.
Kilgore tied the game on a free throw with 26 seconds left with sophomore Devin Ellis grabbing the critical rebound on the second missed free throw.
After a couple of timeouts from both sides, the Seahawks worked the clock down, giving Bailey his chance for back-to-back dream buckets to take the victory.
Minor finished the game as the Seahawks' high scorer with 14 points, while sophomore Tevin Baker hit for 13 points. Bailey totaled 11 points as did freshman Jamyus Jones. Ellis scored seven points and came away with 12 rebounds.
Jordyn Owens led Kilgore with 22 points.
The Seahawks are back in action this Wednesday when they take on Paris Junior College with a 7 p.m. tip at the Carl Parker Center. The Hawks finish an extra-busy week with another home game Saturday against Navarro College. That game tips at 4 p.m. at the Carl Parker Center.