LUFKIN – Lamar State College Port Arthur nearly accomplished a miracle, battling from as many as 19 points down only to fall just short of another NJCAA Region 14 win as Angelina College escaped with a 61-59 win on Saturday afternoon.
The win ties the Roadrunners and Seahawks in conference play at 7-8. LSCPA falls to 17-11 overall, while Angelina College improves to 15-13. Just two games remain in the regular season for the Hawks, both at home, as Coastal Bend College comes to the Parker Center on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The South Zone-leading Jacksonville Jaguars travel to Port Arthur on Saturday, March 2. That game tips off at 2 p.m. due to Mardi Gras festivities that afternoon.
Angelina came out strong in the first half Saturday, going up by double digits by the midway point of the half and eventually taking a 13-point advantage into the locker room. The Seahawks managed just 15 points over the first 20 minutes and that offensive struggle continued into the second half with Angelina taking its biggest lead of the game at 42-23 with 13:23 left.
"We started flat," Head Coach Lance Madison said. "Angelina was the aggressor and we just gave up too many offensive rebounds. We had no sense of urgency."
And yet the Seahawks still managed to close in on the Roadrunners, forcing 26 turnovers that resulted in 24 points.
"Our guys started believing and we started playing like we knew we could win this game," Madison said.
With under three minutes to play, the Hawks took off on an 8-0 run that pulled them to within two at 58-56. With the clock showing 58 seconds left, Angelina worked its way back down the floor. Eating time off the clock, the Roadrunners finally drove the lane, drew the foul and put themselves back up 61-56 with 27 seconds left.
A furious run back at the other end of the court resulted in a basket by Terrance Minor but with just 1.6 seconds left, the Seahawks' hopes of completing the comeback were dashed.
LSCPA finished the game 18 of 55 from the field and 22 of 34 from the free throw line. The Hawks were out-rebounded 45-32. The story of the Seahawks' comeback could be seen in the turnover comparison with the Roadrunners giving up possession 25 times while LSCPA had just 7 giveaways.
Port Arthur freshman guard Darion Chatman led the Seahawks with 15 points and Richmond, Texas freshman Minor added 12. Port Arthur freshman Jamyus Jones and Vivian, Louisiana freshman Chris Thomas each led the team with six rebounds apiece. Jones also had three assists.