Lamar State College Port Arthur capitalized on a stifling defense in the second half to overcome a nine-point halftime deficit, earning itself a Region 14 win over Kilgore College, 75-70, on Wednesday night at the Carl Parker Center.

The Seahawks, now 7-2 overall, 1-0 in league play, and still undefeated at 7-0 at home, fell behind 39-30 in the first half against the Rangers. LSCPA's leading scorer, Bentravin Phillips, had just four points in the scorebook heading into the break.

The Hawks came back on the court ready to turn things around, led by Phillips' offensive prowess. The sophomore guard exploded, knocking down 22 points in the final 20 minutes of the game, finishing with a game-high 26 points, adding four rebounds and four assists. Teammate Jaylen Subject added 11 points while Omari Ward came off the bench to score nine in the win.

The last time the Seahawks opened conference play with a victory was during the 2018-19 campaign. The Hawks will be tested on the road this Saturday when they travel to Corsicana for a 4 p.m. game against Navarro College. The final game before the winter break will be against Trinity Valley Community College at the Parker Center. Heading into the November 29 schedule of games, the Cardinals were ranked No. 12 nationally with their 7-2 overall record.