Tag: Men’s basketball

Men’s basketball downs TAMUSA 100-72

The men’s basketball team defeated Texas A&M University-San Antonio (TAMUSA) 100-72 on Dec. 12. The Saints jump to 11-1 overall and 7-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Jaguars fall to 4-7 overall and 3-5 in the RRAC. 

Head Coach Marcus Thompson said, “I’m really happy and proud of the way we responded after a bad loss. We did a great job of getting back to Saints basketball. The way the ball was moving and we were trusting each other was great to see. I’m happy with the way we played and now it’s about being consistent. We have some tough games coming up next and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

History
This was the first meeting between the two teams. This is the Jaguars inaugural season. 

Offensive/defensive standouts
Breion Powell led the Saints with 16 points. Powell also assisted on seven plays. Arthur Celestin grabbed five rebounds. 

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 37-of-60 shooting for 61.7 percent, 9-of-19 from three-point range for 47.4 percent, and 17-of-28 from the free-throw line for 60.7 percent. The Saints grabbed 30 rebounds and assisted on 23 plays. 

Men’s basketball falls to HTU 75-66

The men’s basketball team suffered the first loss of the season against Huston-Tillotson University (HTU) 75-66. The Saints move to 10-1 overall and 6-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Rams are now 2-7 overall and 2-5 in conference.

Head Coach Marcus Thompson commented, “This was a tough loss today. I have to do a better job as a coach. Huston-Tillotson did a great job of coming out and attacking us. We could not keep them out of the paint defensively and offensively we played as individuals. It’s a healthy reminder that you have to respect the game and every opponent, and I believe we failed to do that. I’m looking forward to seeing how we respond as a team.”

History
The Saints were 22-6 against HTU prior to the game.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Lonzo Rand led the Saints with 22 points. Rob Gil assisted on four plays and Trey Law led the team with seven rebounds.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 22-of-61 shooting for 36.1 percent, 3-of-16 from three-point range for 18.8 percent, and 19-of-26 from the free-throw line for 73.1 percent. The Saints grabbed 33 rebounds and assisted on nine plays.

What’s next
The Saints host Texas A&M University-San Antonio on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Second NAIA poll features men’s basketball as No. 20

The second NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll of the season has seen significant movement. Notably, OLLU, which received 20 votes in the first poll on Nov. 13, has made a remarkable leap to be ranked No. 20.

This marks a poignant milestone for the Saints, as it’s the first time since 2018 that they have been ranked in the poll. In that memorable season, the men’s team achieved rankings of 23rd, 18th, 16th, 19th and 21st.

The only other Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) team included in this second poll of the 2024-2025 season is LSU-Alexandria, which is ranked third – an improvement from sixth. LSU-Shreveport dropped out of the top 25.

OLLU continues to impress this season, marking victories in nine consecutive games, which is the best in team history. The Saints are outscoring their opponents 802-727 with victories over Wayland Baptist University, Southern University at New Orleans, Ave Maria University, Southeastern University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Louisiana Christian University, Texas A&M University – Texarkana, Jarvis Christian University and Texas College.

The Saints and the University of the Southwest are the only two teams undefeated in the Red River Athletic Conference. The Mustangs are 6-0 overall and 3-0 in conference.

Poll Methodology:

  • The NAIA Men’s Basketball Poll is for publicity purposes only and has no weight or bearing in the selection process for national championship field consideration.
  • The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and Continental Athletic Conference (Independents).
  • The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second place, and so on through the list.
  • The highest and lowest vote for each team (a non-vote is considered a low vote) is removed.
  • Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes.”
  • Frequency of polls occur bi-weekly.
  • Records listed are as of the end of the day on Monday of the poll week.

Men’s basketball defeats Texas College 82-73

The men’s basketball squad surged to a 82-73 win over Texas College (TC) on Nov. 26. The Saints jumped to 9-0 overall and 5-0 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Steers are now 1-6 overall and 0-3 in conference.

Head Coach Marcus Thompson commented, “I’m proud of how the team played today. Texas College protects their court well and always plays tough. This was a tough conference road game for sure. The team did well battling adversity for a lot of things we can’t control. We had key players foul out early and the team did a good job of coming together and finding a way to win. This was a great team effort and I’m happy to get the win!”

History
The Saints were 18-10 against Texas College prior to the game.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Lonzo Rand led the Saints with 24 points, followed by Trey Law with 13. Law and Rob Gil had five rebounds apiece.

Texas College’s Ty’Quan Neal led the team with 19 points. Neal also led the squad with eight rebounds.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 25-of-43 from the field for a percentage of 58.1. They shot 6-of-15 from three-point range for 40 percent and hit 26-of-33 free throws for 78.8 percent. Texas College shot 25-of-60 for a percentage of 41.7, 3-of-18 three-pointers for 16.7 percent and 20-of-29 free throws for 69 percent. OLLU added 19 rebounds to Texas College’s 25.

Men’s basketball fends off LCU in 75-71 victory

The men’s basketball team downed Louisiana Christian University (LCU) 75-71 on Saturday. The Saints remain undefeated at 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Wildcats fall to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

Head Coach Marcus Thompson said, “We are happy to get the win! It goes without saying that if we want to achieve some of the team goals we have for this season, we need to be better. We have to continue to have a ‘no excuses’ mentality and chip away at bad habits. We didn’t do our best with that aspect today. Learning while winning is always a beautiful thing. We need to continue to stay together. This will not be a game where we are proud of the film, but if we can turn it into a learning lesson it will serve us well down the road. Texarkana is next, which is another tough challenge. I’m looking forward to getting back to work this week!”

History
The Saints were 2-3 against the Wildcats prior to the game.

Basics
The Saints shot well in the first half at 51.7 percent from the field. The defense limited the Wildcats to 1-of-6 shooting from three-point range. Both teams struggled from the free throw line by shooting under 60 percent. The Saints made two layups with under 30 seconds left in the frame to take a two-point lead into halftime. Kenyon Elliot led the Saints with seven points at the break.

OLLU never trailed in the second half. They outscored the Wildcats by two similar to the first half. Trey Law hit a key layup with 46 seconds remaining to put the Saints up by four. The Wildcats were forced to foul and Law hit a free throw to help the Saints win 75-71. The Saints scored 44 points in the paint and 15 points off turnovers. Three players finished with double-digit points.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Rob Gil led the Saints with 13 points, followed by Law with 12. Breion Powell, Law and Wahkil Lopez had six rebounds each. Kenyon Elliot led the team with three assists.

LCU was led by Joseph Holloway with 13 points. Chukwuemeke Nwaoshai led the squad with 10 rebounds. Jon’Quarius McGhee had three assists for the Wildcats.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 28-of-59 from the field for a percentage of 47.5. LCU shot 28-of-71 for a percentage of 39.4. OLLU added 35 rebounds to LCU’s 42, while the Wildcats committed 13 turnovers, and OLLU had 16.

Up next
The Saints women’s and men’s basketball teams will host Texas A&M University-Texarkana on Thursday. The women’s game begins at 5:30 p.m. and the men tip off at 7:30 p.m. The Spirit Team will be performing at the games.

Men’s basketball continues undefeated start with win over SEU

The men’s basketball team won a thrilling overtime game against Southeastern University (SEU) 111-103 on Nov. 9 to conclude the Southeastern Classic. The Saints remain undefeated at 4-0 while the Fire drop to 1-3.

Head Coach Marcus Thompson said, “Wow, what a game! We did another great job of being resilient and showing the fight in us. Fighting back after being down 16 was great for this team. I love the fight we have. Learning while winning is always a good feeling. I’m beyond proud of this group.”

Basics
The Saints started strong by jumping out to a 16-5 lead. The Fire responded by going on a 12-0 run to flip the advantage. Multiple lead changes followed but two three-pointers by the Fire put them up 60-46 at halftime. The Saints shot 59.4 percent from the field and hit 4-of-6 three-pointers in the first half. The Fire defense created 10 turnovers, and two players posted double-digit points. Lonzo Rand had 12 points for the Saints and Breion Powell had four rebounds.

OLLU slowly shrunk SEU’s lead in the second half. Rob Gil put in a layup with 4:31 remaining and hit a free throw to tie the game at 85-85. Both squads traded buckets and Trey Law made a layup with just under a minute left to give the Saints a 92-91 advantage. Lonzo Rand hit two free throws after being fouled and the Saints took a timeout with 25 seconds left. Montez Leath hit a key three-pointer with nine seconds on the clock to tie the game. Lonzo Rand had a chance at a game-winning layup, but it rimmed out and the game went to overtime.

OLLU’s offense stepped up in overtime by outscoring the Fire 17-9. The defense limited the Fire to 1-of-4 shooting from three-point range. Six different Saints put up points in overtime. The Fire only shot 50 percent from the charity stripe throughout the game and turned the ball over 24 times. Powell and Rand both finished with over 20 points. 111 points are the most scored by the Saints since Jan. 7, 2022.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Rand led the Saints with 26 points. Powell had 12 rebounds and 20 points for a double-double. Gil led the Saints with six assists.

Southeastern was led by Ahmad Johnson with 25 points. Nathan Mikkelson posted a double-double with 10 rebounds and 16 points. Derek Murphy and Joshua Blazquez had three assists apiece.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 42-of-76 from the field for a percentage of 55.3. SEU shot 40-of-77 for a percentage of 51.9. OLLU added 41 rebounds to SEU’s 40, while the Fire committed 24 turnovers, and OLLU had 17.

Up next
The Saints begin Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) play at Xavier University of Louisiana on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Men’s basketball selected fifth in preseason conference poll

The men’s basketball team is fifth in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) 2024-2025 Preseason Poll released on Oct. 17.

Picked first is LSU-Alexandria with 165 points and 10 first-place votes. LSU-Shreveport comes in second with 146 points. Xavier University of Louisiana is third with 143 points and two first-place votes. The University of the Southwest is one spot above the Saints in fourth with 128 points. Jarvis Christian University trails OLLU in sixth with 77 points. Texas College is eighth with 76, followed by North American University with 70, Paul Quinn College with 69, Texas A&M University-Texarkana with 64, Louisiana Christian with 55, Texas A&M University-San Antonio (TAMUSA) with 52 and Huston-Tillotson University with 39.

The Saints finished in fifth place last season at 11-11 in conference and 14-15 overall. OLLU was also picked fifth in the 2023-2024 poll.

The RRAC expanded to 13 men’s basketball teams this season with TAMUSA adding the sport. They hired RRAC veteran and former Saints Head Coach Chris Dial.

Voting was conducted by the conference’s head coaches. Points were calculated through a 13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 format.

The Saints open their season on Friday in Plainview, Texas, against Wayland Baptist University.