Four Score in Double Figures in Win Over Tigers

DALLAS (January 4, 2025) – The Our Lady of the Lake (OLLU) men's basketball team got back in the win column on Saturday afternoon after taking down the Paul Quin College (PQC) Tigers 77-72 in Dallas. With the win, the Saints move to 13-3 overall and 9-3 in Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) action.

Four of the OLLU starters finished in double figures led by Breion Powell and his 17 points. Lonzo Rand added 15 while Rod Gil added 10 and Arthur Celestin chipped in with 11. The Saints offense shot 49% from the field and assisted on 20 of their 28 made field goals.

The Saints used three consecutive three point baskets, two by Rand and one by Powell, to build a 9-2 lead over the first two minutes of the game. With 15:18 on the clock another Powell triple helped OLLU double up the Tigers at 12-6. After a made free throw from PQC to make it 12-7, there was a two-minute stretch where both teams failed to put the ball in the basket. Kenyon Elliot ended the drought with a layup, giving OLLU a 14-7 lead. Midway through the opening half, Rand converted one-of-two free throws to give OLLU a 15-point lead at 24-9. The Tigers were able to cut into the OLLU lead multiple times in the final 10 minutes of the half, but the Saints answered every PQC run and took a 46-31 advantage into the break.

Five minutes into the second half, the Tigers cut their deficit to single digits at 50-41. Both teams continued to strike and counterstrike as the clock ticked down, but things would get interesting during the last minutes of the contest. With just under six minutes to play, PQC cut the OLLU lead to three points at 63-60 and would cut the lead to just one-point on two occasions. With 58 seconds left Gil knocked down a shot from beyond the arc to put the Saints up by five, but the Tigers answered with a layup on their next possession to make it a 75-72 game with 30 seconds to play. Gil knocked down a pair of free throws with 11 seconds remaining to put the game out of reach, securing the Saints' 13th win of the season.

OLLU shot 56% from three-point distance while holding the Tigers to just over 14% for the game.  

The Saints will return to Mabee Gymnasium on Thursday, January 9 as they welcome Louisiana Christian University. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

For the latest news, updates, and information on the OLLU Saints, fans can visit ollusaintsathletics.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Saints news by following @ollusaintsathletics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.