JACKSONVILLE, Texas – Lamar State College Port Arthur managed to stay close at times but couldn't find a way to break away as Jacksonville College took a 93-73 win over the Seahawks in NJCAA Region 14 play on Thursday night.

The Seahawks fall to 14-9 overall and 5-6 in Region 14 play, while the Jaguars improve to 17-8 and 7-5 as they claim sole possession of the conference's South Zone.

The Seahawks, who were on the court for the first time in nine days, fell behind early to the Jaguars but came on strong early in the second half to make a game of it. At several points early in the second half, the Hawks took a one-point lead but Jacksonville College edged back out, eventually taking as much as a 20-point lead late.

"We were right there but we just couldn't stop the dribble penetration," LSCPA Head Coach Lance Madison said. "We needed to stop them in transition and several times we found ourselves flat-footed, then they got hot and we panicked."

LSCPA sophomore Nathan Bailey was the game's high scorer with 23 points after getting hot in the second half. He hit for just six in the first 20 minutes of play then came on to hit five 3-pointers after the halftime break.

Freshman guard Terrance Minor added 10 points while sophomore Colin Just dropped in nine points for the Seahawks. Devaughn Thomas and Chris Thomas each chipped in eight points for LSCPA.

The Seahawks return to action Saturday against non-conference foe Lone Star College-Tomball at 4 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center. Then Region 14 play resumes for the Hawks when Lee College visits Port Arthur on Wednesday, Feb. 13. That game tips off at 7 p.m.