SHREVEPORT, Louisiana — Lamar State College Port Arthur has spent the 2018-19 men's basketball season playing the role of giant killer, defeating some of the best NJCAA Region 14 teams heading into this week's regional tournament. On Thursday night, the task was just a bit too big.

Tyler Junior College withstood a late run by the Seahawks as the Apaches escaped with a 69-59 win at Centenary College, ousting the Hawks from the tournament and ending their season with a 20-12 record.

The Seahawks, who beat Bossier Parish Community College on Tuesday night to advance, struggled to get their offense in sync against Tyler, finishing the contest hitting 21 of 72 for a 29.2 percent mark from the field. Yet, as has often been the case this season, the Seahawks' defense kept them in contention for a win right up to the final moments.

After trailing by nine points at the halftime break and then against by double digits well into the second half, the scrappy Seahawks battled back once again to tie the game for the eighth time with 4:59 left in the game.

Over the next nearly five minutes, the Seahawks created opportunity after opportunity with its stifling defense but just couldn't convert on offense, scoring just four more points down the stretch.

Five sophomores played their final game as a Seahawk with fan favorite Devin Ellis scoring one more double-double performance with 10 points and 12 rebounds, adding four steals in his farewell appearance. Nathan Bailey, the sophomore transfer who made opposing coaches cringe with his deadly 3-point shot and stone-cold ability to hit game-winners at the buzzer, scored a team-best 16 points with seven rebounds.

Jamyus Jones and Chris Thomas, two freshmen, added 11 points and five rebounds each for the Seahawks.

Cameron Johnson scored 22 points to lead Tyler Junior College, which advances to the regional semifinals Friday where they will face the conference's No. 1 seed Trinity Valley Community College.