sign in sign up
<<
Home , Rocky Mountain College, Three Minutes, Tougaloo College

Pilots Picked to Repeat as GCAC Champions, Lady Pilots selected Fifth in GCAC Pre-season Coaches Poll

OCTOBER 01, 2008

Hattiesburg, Miss. - The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference announced today the results of the 2008-2009 Men's and Women’s Basketball Pre-Season Poll as selected by the league's coaches.

Coming off of their best season in school history, the LSUS men’s basketball team has been picked again to repeat as Gulf Coast Athletic Conference champions, receiving nine of the ten possible first-place votes. LSUS finished the 2007-08 season with a 31-3 overall record, and their third GCAC regular season title in five years. The Pilots also captured their third straight GCAC tournament championship in 2008, while advancing to the NAIA National Tournament for the fourth consecutive year.

LSUS returns just one starter off of last year’s team, but several other players who logged significant minutes from off the bench also return, in addition to a six-man recruiting class headlined by Centenary transfer Tyrone Hamilton.

The LSUS Lady Pilots have been selected to finish fifth in the ten-team league, following their fourth- straight season with 13 wins. The Lady Pilots finished the 2007-2008 season tied for fifth place in the GCAC standings with a 9-9 overall conference mark.

The Lady Pilots return eight letter winners off of last year’s squad, including senior posts Janai Sells and Quan Joseph. Sells was the team’s second leading scorer and rebounder last season with 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while Joseph averaged 7.2 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Lady Pilots. Sophomore Whitney Hollins, who led the Lady Pilots in three-point shooting last season, also returns for her second season in a Lady Pilots uniform.

The Pilots and Lady Pilots will both open the regular season at home on November 6 versus .

Men's Basketball Pre-season Poll Results

1. LSUS (9) 81 2. Xavier (1) 71 3. 54 4. University of Mobile 52 5. Spring Hill College 46 6. 41 7. Loyola University 33 8. Belhaven College 30 9. 27 10. SUNO 15

Women's Basketball Pre-season Poll Results

1. Xavier University (8) 80 2. Loyola University 69 3. William Carey University (2) 66 4. University of Mobile 48 5. LSUS 41 6. SUNO 40 7. Dillard University 37 8. Belhaven College 32 9. Spring Hill College 23 10. Tougaloo College 14

First place votes in parenthesis.

Hamilton, Stevenson Named to Preseason All-GCAC Team

OCTOBER 22, 2008

Hattiesburg, Miss. - LSUS' Tyrone Hamilton and Jared Stevenson were selected to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball preseason all-conference team for the 2008-09 season, as announced today by the league's office.

Hamilton transferred to LSUS from Centenary College earlier this summer, and is expected to make an immediate impact after leading the Gents in scoring his sophomore and junior seasons. Hamilton scored 17 points per game in 2007-08, while shooting over 39% from the three-point line.

Stevenson is the lone returning starter off of last year's LSUS team that won a school record 31 games. Stevenson averaged seven points per game last season, while leading the GCAC in assists.

LSUS will open up the 2008-09 campaign on November 6 when they host Paul Quinn College at The Dock.

* The team was chosen by a vote of the league's coaches. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

Name Height Class Position Team Sean Bennett 5'11" Junior Guard Loyola Michael Bridges 6'4" Junior Guard Dillard Jeremy Cable 6'6" Senior Forward Tougaloo Marcus Coleman 6'0" Junior Guard Spring Hill Shaun Dumas 6'0" Senior Guard Xavier Tyrone Hamilton 6'0" Senior Guard LSUS Dexter Middleton 6'3" Senior Guard William Carey Dax Miller 6'2" Senior Guard Belhaven Kelechi Okoroha 6'4" Senior Forward Xavier Jeremy Price 6'1" Senior Guard Spring Hill Jared Stevenson 6'1" Junior Guard LSUS Dante Walker 6'2" Sophomore Guard Mobile Korey Whiting 6'3" Senior Forward Belhaven

Pilots Ranked No. 8 in NAIA Preseason Poll

OCTOBER 28, 2008

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – LSUS will begin the 2008-09 season as the No. 8 team in the country in the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Preseason Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, announced today by the league’s office.

The Pilots, led by preseason all-conference guards Tyrone Hamilton and Jared Stevenson, will look to build upon last year’s record-breaking season that included a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the National Tournament, a 31-3 overall record and a final ranking of No. 4 in the nation. However, LSUS must replace four starters off of last year’s team and nearly 80% of the team’s scoring, but Head Coach Chad McDowell believes his team is up to the challenge.

“Trying to replace two All-Americans (Josh Porter and Jamon Morris) and an All-Conference player (Travis Cash) is not an easy task,” said McDowell. “However, we feel that with the return of some key member’s from last year’s team and the addition of several impact players, we have a chance to have another championship season here at LSUS.”

Oklahoma City tops this year’s preseason poll, as the two-time defending champions earned six of the possible 11 first-place votes and 273 total points to begin the year No. 1. Robert Morris (Ill.) checks in at No. 2, just four points behind OCU with 269 total votes. The Eagles notched three first-place votes. RMC finished 28-4 last year and they are expecting big things from transfer, DeAndre Thomas, who arrives from Indiana. No. 3 Mountain State (W.V.) is the national runners-up and went 34-3 last season. Their prized recruit is St. Petersburg (Fla.) Community College transfer, Marcus Hunter, who averaged around 23 points last year. No. 4 Lee (Tenn.) amassed 245 total points in the poll while No. 5 California Baptist rounded out the Top 5 with 244 points.

Georgetown (Ky.), the team that was No. 1 in the 2007-08 final regular season poll, begins the campaign at No. 6 and earning one first-place nod. The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. The first regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on Monday, Dec. 1.

LSUS will open up the 2008-09 campaign at home on Thursday, Nov. 6 versus Paul Quinn College.

For more information on LSUS men’s basketball, please click here.

2008 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Top 25 Coaches’ Poll – (Oct. 27 - Preseason)

RANK LAST YEAR SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) 2007-08 RECORD* TOTAL POINTS

1 7 (6) 31-7 273

2 8 Robert (Ill.) (3) 28-4 269

3 5 Mountain State University (W.Va.) (1) 34-3 260

4 2 Lee University (Tenn.) 33-2 245

5 13 California Baptist University 24-9 244

6 1 Georgetown College (Ky.) (1) 35-1 237

7 17 Oklahoma Baptist University 24-10 212

8 4 Louisiana State University-Shreveport 31-3 205

T9 10 McKendree University (Ill.) 27-7 200

T9 6 Concordia University (Calif.) 28-5 200

11 T19 University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) 20-14 192

12 RV Union University (Tenn.) 18-13 191

13 RV Westminster College (Utah) 20-7 172

14 3 (Tenn.) 30-4 146

15 18 Texas Wesleyan University 20-11 145

16 NR MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) 31-5 143

17 12 Azusa (Calif.) 24-11 136

18 RV Campbellsville University (Ky.) 27-10 127

19 RV Cumberland University (Tenn.) 21-11 122

20 NR Rogers State University (Okla.) 20-11 103 21 14 Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.) 19-9 101

22 21 Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) 22-10 83

23 RV University of Illinois at Springfield 22-10 66

24 NR Evangel University (Mo.) 27-6 61

25 24 Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) 17-15 54

Others receiving votes:

Martin Methodist College (Tenn.) 43; Tougaloo College (Miss.) 38; Oklahoma Christian University 35; Crichton College (Tenn.) 33; Point Loma

Nazarene University (Calif.) 28; (Okla.) 25; Xavier University (La.) 22; Pikeville College (Ky.) 18; (Mont.)

10; (Mont.) 4; Saint Xavier University (Ill.) 3; Columbia College (Mo.) 1; Northwestern Oklahoma State University 1; Trevecca Nazarene

University (Tenn.) 1; Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) 1; (Ky.) 1; William Jewell College (Mo.) 1; (Texas) 1;

Shorter College (Ga.) 1

* Records as submitted by schools and raters

Pilots Look to Reload: Men's Basketball Season Preview

NOVEMBER 05, 2008

In 2007-08, the LSUS Pilots won a school-record 31 games, while capturing both the GCAC regular season and tournament championships. Although the Pilots will have to replace four starters off of last year’steam, including two All-Americans, the 2008-09 roster is reloaded with the talent necessary to continue the winning tradition at LSUS. LSUS only returns one starter in 2008-09, point guard Jared Stevenson, but several other players who played significant minutes from off the bench last season will look to fill even bigger roles this season. Seniors Chris Gatlin and Clarke Jackson are both long, athletic guards with the ability to play either the 3 or 4 position, providing the Pilots with much-needed experience and leadership. Power forward Jay Lincoln and guards Gabe Hall and Sam Williams each saw limited action last season, but will be called upon for expanded roles in 2008-09 following outstanding offseasons on the court and in the weightroom.

Even though the Pilots nearly 80% of its offensive production from a year ago, LSUS Head Coach Chad McDowell believes he has some players who are very capable of stepping into more of a scoring role this season. “Although we lost two All-Americans in Josh Porter and Jamon Morris and an All-Conference player in Travis Cash, we still have several guys returning this year who are very capable of scoring the basketball,” commented McDowell. “Jared Stevenson proved his is able to fill that role after leading our team in scoring last year at the National Tournament, while Chris Gatlin and Clarke Jackson each had a couple of big scoring games last season from off the bench.”

Also stepping in this season to help fill the scoring void by Porter, Morris and Cash will be a slew of newcomers who will look to make waves in a Pilots uniform this season.

Senior transfer Tyrone Hamilton from Centenary College headlines a five-man recruiting class that features three NCAA Division-1 transfers, including 6’9 post Brandon Mims (La. Tech) and shooting guard John Anthony Anglin (Northwestern St.). Hamilton averaged 17 points per game last season for the Gents, while shooting over 39% from the three-point line. Hamilton led Centenary in scoring as a sophomore and junior, and was named to the All-Mid Continent Newcomer Team after averaging 12 points per game as a freshman. Mims will provide the Pilots with a presence in the paint, as the shot- blocking specialist gained valuable experience last season in 23 games played at Louisiana Tech. Anglin appeared in 17 games last season with the Demons, and is a deadly three-point shooter (57% in 07-08).

In addition to the three D-1 transfers, LSUS has also added 6’7 post Derrick Parker from Minden High School (La.) and Demondray Robinson from Southern in Shreveport. Parker was a Class 4A All-State, All-Parish and District 1-4A MVP selection following a senior season in which he averaged over 26 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks per game. Robinson prepped at Bossier High School before playing two seasons at Southern, and will provide much needed depth to the Pilots roster this season.

McDowell is extremely excited about this year’s recruiting class, and is confident that he and his staff have addressed the needs of this year’s team with these five newcomers.

“With this year’s class, we have added more scoring, size and athleticism to our team,” said McDowell. “Also, adding a player of Tyrone Hamilton’s caliber to our roster immediately gives us a chance to have another season here at LSUS.”

With the return of a solid, core group of players and the addition of several big-time impact players, LSUS basketball will once again be a treat to follow in the 2008-09 season. The revamped LSUS roster features more size, speed and athleticism than in seasons past, which should provide the fans with yet another season of exciting, up-tempo, high-flying Pilot basketball. The Pilots have been accustomed to winning GCAC championships and being a Top-10 NAIA program over the last four seasons, and 2008-09 should be no different. The Pilots will open up the regular season at home on Thursday night versus the Paul Quinn College Tigers. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at The Dock.

Hamilton's 42 Points Lead LSUS to Season Opening Victory

NOVEMBER 07, 2008

Shreveport, La. - Senior transfer Tyrone Hamilton scored a game-high 42 points in his LSUS debut, as the Pilots rallied from 11 down with just over six minutes remaining to knock off the visiting Tigers, 106- 104.

Five made three-points baskets between John Anthony Anglin and Hamilton sparked a 18-4 LSUS run that saw the Pilots take a three point lead following a thunderous dunk by Chris Gatlin with two minutes left in the game.

After back-to-back baskets by Paul Quinn's Joseph Cormadelle gave the Tigers a one point lead with 1:30 left in the game, Louisiana Tech transfer Brandon Mims brought the house down with an alley-oop dunk from Hamilton to give the Pilots the lead for good.

Freshman Derrick Parker dropped in 20 points in his first game with the Pilots, Anglin and Mims had 14 and 12 respectively.

But this night belonged to Hamilton. After making a well-publicized decision to transfer to LSUS this summer from crosstown NCAA Division 1 Centenary College, Hamilton stole the show in his Pilots debut. Hamilton's 42 points were two shy of the all-time LSUS record, and he also dished out 10 assists and pulled down 7 rebounds in the contest. And when his team needed him the most, Hamilton did not disappoint, scoring 15 points over the final six minutes to push the team to victory.

The Pilots (1-0) will be back in action on Tuesday night when they take on Jarvis Christian at The Dock.

PILOTS PROPAGANDA: VOLUME 1

NOVEMBER 10, 2008

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN; PILOTS OPEN 2008 CAMPAIGN WITH 106-104 VICTORY The 2008 version of the LSUS Pilots hit the hard-court at the friendly confines of “The Dock” last Thursday night as they squared off against the Paul Quinn College Tigers, marking the season opener of their 2008-2009 campaign. The 800+ Pilots faithful, who were led by the infamous “LSUS Baseball Bleacher-Creatures,” witnessed firsthand why LSUS Basketball has become the number one sporting ticket in the Shreveport-Bossier area as the Pilots held off a formidable opponent for a thrilling 106-104 victory.

In a press conference earlier in the week Coach McDowell was quoted as saying this year’s squad has a lot of talent, but don’t expect them to keep up with the offensive powers that were led by All-American selections Frederico Payne and Josh Porter from 2003-2008. “This year a lot of our games will most likely be in the 70’s and 80’s,” said McDowell.

The Pilots high-octane offense of the past however was resurrected when the Pilots looked as though they may drop their first home opener in six years. Trailing by 12 points with 8:00 remaining, the Pilots showed they may just have that swagger and offensive firepower of teams of old as they outscored the Tigers 38-16 over that 8:00 span en route to a 106-104 victory.

Paul Quinn gave LSUS their best shot, finishing 36-of-68 (53%) from the floor and 22-of-27 (82%) from the charity stripe. Rashaad Norman connected on four consecutive three point buckets in the second half and finished with 21 points while teammate Joseph Cormadelle poured in 30 points and collected a game high 10 rebounds in the losing effort which ended with a missed shot at the buzzer by Demarco Latham as time expired. Look out Red River Conference, Paul Quinn College is for real!

For any of the Pilots future opponents who recruit Thursday night’s game film, you will get a great look of what the Pilots have to offer this season. You will see the prototypical up-tempo offense and the team defense that tries to make opponents uncomfortable as possible. The No. 8 ranked Pilots have used these two things as their recipe to qualify for the NAIA National Tournament for four consecutive years.

At first glimpse, teams may also be relieved to see that the offensive presence of Porter, Travis Cash, and Jamon Morris are no longer in the picture. However, who they will see is a senior guard who now wears the number zero, Tyrone Hamilton. Hamilton, also referred to as “agent zero” by teammates, transferred from NCAA Division I and cross-town rival Centenary College.

Hamilton torched the twine for a career high 42 points Thursday night, falling just two points shy of Payne’s Individual Single-Game Scoring Record (44). Nine of his 42 points came down the stretch in the final three minutes of the contest. Oh, by the way, he also dished out a game high 10 assists and collected seven boards to cap of his fairytale debut in which he was quoted as saying this was “the most fun I have had since playing ball outside with my dad when I was five years old.”

It is only human nature to be in awe of Hamilton’s performance, but what cannot be overlooked was the performance of freshman forward Derrick Parker and transfers John Anthony Anglin and Brandon Mims.

Parker, a former Minden High School standout coached by Alan Shaw, poured in 20 points and collected 10 rebounds in his college basketball debut. Parker showed comparable traits of former Pilots star Derrick Sowell (2003-2005) and Jeremy Johnston (2005-2006).

Mims, a sophomore transfer from Louisiana Tech University, was on the receiving end of an alley-oop pass from Hamilton, which looked as though he could have dunked it with his elbows and sent the near capacity crowd into hysterics to highlight his 12 points.

And probably the most underrated performance of the night came from Anglin, a junior transfer from Northwestern State University. The Pilots needed someone to hit a big shot down the stretch other than Hamilton. Anglin hit that shot, twice! With six minutes remaining and trailing by 11 points, Anglin connected from beyond the arc and followed with another at the 4:55 mark cutting the Tigers lead to 95- 91 accounting for six of his 14 points.

Not mentioned in the box scores are the huge minutes played by Jay Lincoln, Chris Gatlin, Gabe Hall, and Jared Stevenson. Stevenson turned in a huge performance distributing the basketball as he tallied 8 assist to only 1 turnover and came up big for the Pilots with 2 key steals. Look for the guard tandem of Stevenson and Hamilton to be among the elite duos in the NAIA this year. As the year continues and teams prepare and focus in on All-American candidate, look for Stevenson to put points on the board with his play-making ability to counter any attempt by opponents to contain Hamilton.

And for those defensive gurus out there who may cringe at the fact that the Tigers broke the century mark as well Thursday night, do not fret. What the Pilots give up in size down low they make up with their athleticism. With all due respect to the Tigers, they could not have shot any better from the outside. Prime example being Norman who connected on seven three’s in the contest after attempting only one from the outside in the team’s previous two contests.

There is no question the Pilots have to improve in order to complete their quest of collecting their fourth Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championship in six years. I expect five time Louisiana State Coach of the Year Chad McDowell to make them do just that.

In the mean time, and in between time, that’s it for this week’s edition Pilots Propaganda. No. 8 Pilots Handed First Loss

NOVEMBER 12, 2008

Without the magic of Tyrone Hamilton's first-game effort, the LSUS Pilots squandered a 17-point second- half lead and lost Tuesday night at The Dock, when escaped with an 86-85 win.

Both teams lived at the free-throw line for most of the second half, as the officiating crew whistled 53 fouls in an effort to maintain control of a game that was, at times, headed out of control.

And it was a free throw by the Bulldogs' David Green with 5 seconds remaining that secured the win.

"We made some bad decisions shooting shots we shouldn't have shot in the first half or we would have been up by 30," LSUS coach Chad McDowell said. "Every second matters in a game and we need to put people away early when we have the chance."

The Pilots (1-1) went in front 58-41 six minutes into the second half, but the Bulldogs immediately began whittling away at the lead. Jarvis got the LSUS advantage down to one point with about 6 minutes to play on a Mitchell Johnson 3-pointer, and took their first lead with 4 minutes to play on another Johnson 3.

The lead then see-sawed until a layup by Mahershal Simonet and a steal and layup by Deveon Jenkins gave the Bulldogs (3-1) an 83-80 lead with about a minute and a half to play. That appeared to seal the deal for the visitors until the Pilots' Jared Stevenson nailed a three from the top of the key to knot the game with 36 seconds to play.

But Hamilton fouled Green on a drive with five seconds left and the guard knocked down one free throw for the game winner. The Pilots were unable to secure the rebound on Green's missed second shot.

Although Hamilton converted 15 of 17 free throws and finished with a team-leading 24 points, he was just 4 of 17 from the field, including 1 of 8 from behind the arc. Stevenson had one of his best games with 23 points, dropping in 6 of 10 from the field. Also in double digits for the Pilots were Chris Gatlin with 17 and Derrick Parker with 13.

Johnson topped the visitors with 22 points, while Simonet added 13 and Jenkins 12.

The Pilots jumped out of the gate quickly, getting in front 7-0 on a dunk by Parker and a 3-pointer by Stevenson, but the Bulldogs climbed back in the game on a 3-pointer by Simonet. LSUS led just 9-7 five minutes into the contest, but a 23-10 run over the next seven minutes, keyed by a trio of 3-pointers by Gatlin, put the Pilots in front 32-17. When Hamilton hit his first field goal of the contest, at the 1:44 mark, his conventional three-point play gave the Pilots' their largest first-half lead at 45-27. The visitors closed the gap a little by the break, but LSUS still led 48-34.

The Pilots controlled the boards in the first half 31-21, while shooting 45 percent from the field, mostly because Parker and Gatlin were a combined 8 of 11 from the field. The Bulldogs could manage just a 30 percent mark and converted just 6 of 21 from behind the arc.

*Story Courtesy of the Shreveport Times' Jimmy Watson

Pilots Drop Game One in Jimmy Faulkner Classic

NOVEMBER 14, 2008

Montgomery, Ala. - The LSUS Pilots lost for the second time in as many games, as the host Faulkner Eagles defeated the Pilots 68-50 on the first day of the Jimmy Faulkner Classic.

LSUS shot just 23% (16-for-69) for the game, while shooting a miserable 4-for-27 from the three-point line.

The Pilots trailed by two at the halfway mark and took a one-point lead just minutes into the second half, but a 21-6 Faulkner run put the Eagles up 14 points, as the Pilots never threatened again in the contest.

Tyrone Hamilton led LSUS with 17 points and freshman Derrick Parker was a bright-spot with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

LSUS will face No. 20 Auburn University-Montgomery on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. AUM defeated No. 18 Campbellsville in double OT on Friday night.

Pilots Drop Third Straight

NOVEMBER 16, 2008

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Auburn University at Montgomery's Kip Small had a game-high 23 points to lead AUM to a 73-70 win Saturday night over LSUS at the Jimmy Faulkner Classic hosted by Faulkner University. AUM shot the ball well for the second consecutive night in the classic as they finished the game shooting over 47 percent from the field, and that included knocking down 40 percent of their three point attempts.

LSUS went into the locker room trailing 38-34, but rallied to take a 56-51 midway through the second half. AUM then went on on huge run, scoring 13 consecutive points to go up 64-56. The Pilots did make a run to get back in the game, but in the Senators prevailed with the three point win.

Tyrone Hamilton scored 20 points to lead LSUS and was joined in double digits by Jared Stevenson who had 12, Chris Gatlin had 11 and John Anthony Anglin chipped in with 10.

The Senators were spread out in scoring as all 10 players that entered the game scored. Quadavious Brown joined Small in double digits finishing the game with 14 points.

AUM outrebounded LSUS 35-25 with Robert Johnson leading the way with 10. Derrick Parker also had 10 rebounds for the Pilots.

LSUS (1-3) will next face Wiley College on Wednesday night in Marshall.

Pilots Propaganda: Week 2

NOVEMBER 17, 2008

PILOTS ENTER UNCHARTERED WATERS AFTER SLOW START If you were to ask LSUS basketball fans when the last time the Pilots had a losing record was, the odds are you would not get a prompt response. You would have to flip through the archives all the way back to January 26, 2004, when the Pilots dropped a 74-69 decision to Gulf Coast Athletic Conference rival Spring Hill College to fall to 9-10 overall at that point of the year.

And if you were to ask when the last time the Pilots were on the losing end of three consecutive games was? Well, believe it or not, this weeks 0-3 stint marks the first time Coach McDowell’s squad has ever found themselves on such a streak. As a matter of fact, the January 26, 2004 contest against SHC marks the last time the Pilots lost two consecutive regular season contests, a feat that has only occurred three times since the reinstatement of the program in 2003.

The current Pilots tailspin began after watching a 17-point second half lead evaporate Tuesday night at The Dock. 21-turnovers and a 9-of-27 (33.3%) shooting performance in the second half proved to be the difference as the Jarvis Christian Bulldogs (3-1) handed the stunned Pilots squad their first loss of the season.

After suffering the rare loss at home, the Pilots took to the road to square off against Southern States Athletic Conference Championship contenders Faulkner University Eagles and Auburn University- Montgomery Senators in the Jimmy Faulkner Classic.

Tuesday nights second half shooting woes carried over to the Classic opener as the Pilots connected on just 7-of-34 (25%) from the floor in the first half, but only trailed the Eagles 26-24 at the break.

Any adjustments the Pilots tried to make at the break were denied by yet another dismal shooting performance in the second half which contributed to the worst offensive performance in Pilots history. LSUS shot a combined 23% from the field which included a 4-of-27 (14%) performance from beyond the arc while finishing just 14-of-22 (63%) from the charity stripe.

Pilots leading scorer Tyrone Hamilton and point guard Jared Stevenson shot a combined 4-for-34 from the field and tallied a total of 23-points.

Despite committing just nine turnovers in the contest, the Pilots were uncharacteristically outrebounded 51-38; a stat that was accomplished by Pilots opponents only twice in 34 games throughout 2007-2008.

LSUS looked to salvage the all important road swing with a win against the 21st-Ranked Senators Saturday afternoon. LSUS led 56-53 with 9:00 remaining in the second half, but, the two teams traded leads down the stretch before the Pilots found themselves trailing 68-67 with 3:15 remaining after Hamilton connected on an old-fashioned three-point play.

For the third time in as many nights however the Pilots struggled down the stretch and were held scoreless over the next 2:30 until freshman Derrick Parker connected from the field with 0:43 remaining. Despite a crucial LSUS turnover in the final seconds, the Pilots still managed a three-point attempt at the buzzer to tie the game at 73-73, but a fade away attempt from Chris Gatlin banged off the iron sending the Pilots back home to Shreveport wondering what they have to do to get this season turned around.

The entire nation keeps close tabs on the three-time GCAC Champions and four-time NAIA National Tournament selection. And at 1-3, the entire GCAC may be breathing a sigh of relief at the appearance of what could possibly be a changing of the guard in 2008-2009.

Or so they hope. As an outsider looking in, keep in mind I viewed the Pilots road games in Montgomery via Dakstats Webcast, I feel as though the Pilots hold the cure to their current losing curse.

It would be easy to point the Pilots problems on their current depth issue, suiting out only eight eligible players throughout the first four games of the season. believe that would play a role over the course of a 30 game schedule, but not yet.

To keep it simple, I believe the Pilots have yet to define who they are as a team. They are being outscored, out-hustled, and out-worked on the boards. All three characteristics have been a huge part of the recipe for success in the past.

Over the past four games, the Pilots have been outrebounded 120-105 and their post players have accounted for just over 25% (82-of-311 total points) of their offensive output.

The lone bright spot in the post however has been Parker, averaging just under a double-double per contest with 13.0-points and 9.8-rebounds. An amazing stat line considering he is still treading the waters as a freshman forward.

Improved play and action in the paint could open up the floor for the Pilots shooting guards who have also struggled from the field of late. After a 44-point outburst in his Pilots debut, Hamilton has connected on just 15-of-60 (25%) attempts from the field including making just 5-of-27 from beyond the arc after a 7-for- 14 performance on opening night. He has found success getting to the free-throw line which has kept his points per game among the NAIA scoring leaders at 25.8 points per game.

All in all, I believe the 1-3 start could be a blessing in disguise for the Pilots. Their character and attitude has been tested early and they have a lot of work to do to fulfill some very high expectations. There is no doubt in my mind knowing the character of their leader and Head Coach Chad McDowell they will overcome the early season struggles and will be in the hunt for their 4th-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championship and their 5th-NAIA National Tournament appearance.

The Pilots first step towards righting the ship begins Wednesday night in Marshall, TX as they will take on Wiley College who received votes in the 2008 pre-season Top-25 poll. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30pm.

In the mean time, and in between time, that’s it for this week’s edition Pilots Propaganda.

.

Pilots Snap Three-Game Skid With Overtime Win

NOVEMBER 20, 2008

Marshall, Texas – The LSUS Pilots used a barrage of three pointers and a record night from behind the arc to pick up a huge overtime victory on the road Wednesday night, defeating Wiley College 83-77 at the Alumni Gym.

LSUS outscored the home team 11-5 in the extra five minutes, as Jared Stevenson, John Anthony Anglin and Chris Gatlin each connected on a three-point basket to help lift the Pilots to victory.

The Pilots jumped out to an early 21-5 lead to begin the game on 5-for-5 shooting from behind the three, but the Wildcats would battle back and trail by just 10 at the break.

Wiley went on a 20-5 run to start the second half, taking a five point lead over the visitors from LSUS. The game continued to go back-and-forth throughout the next 13 minutes before the Pilots rallied from a five- point deficit with four minutes to play to take a two-point lead.

Leading by two points with just 20 seconds remaining, LSUS picked up an offensive foul giving Wiley one last shot to send the game into overtime. With four seconds left, LSUS looked to have picked up the big stop they needed, but a foul on the rebound sent Wiley’s Rafael Johnson to the line with a chance to tie the game. Johnson connected on both free throws and the Pilots were unable to get off a shot as time expired.

In addition to the three overtime threes, the Pilots finished the contest 17-for-17 from the three-point line according to the Wiley College stats crew. Gatlin led the way with 7 threes, while Anglin hit 5, Tyrone Hamilton added 3 of his own and Jared Stevenson with 2.

Hamilton scored a game-high 27 points and dished out a game-high 11 assists for the Pilots, while Gatlin poured in a career-high 23 points and collected 10 rebounds for the double-double. Anglin and Stevenson also finished in double figures with 15 and 13 points apiece.

LSUS (2-3) snapped its first three-game losing streak in school history with the win, and will look to move to .500 on the season this weekend in Dallas versus UT-Tyler.

Pilots Squeak By UT-Tyler

NOVEMBER 23, 2008

RICHARDSON, Texas - Jared Stevenson's two free throws with 31 seconds remaining in the contest lifted the Pilots to a one-point victory on Saturday night, as they defeated UT-Tyler 78-77 in the Fred Jacoby I-20 Classic.

UT-Tyler opened up the game on a 19-6 run and looked to have the Pilots on the ropes early in the contest. The Pilots, however, turned up their defensive pressure and battled back to tie the game at 31-31 with two minutes left in the first half. LSUS finished the half on a 9-3 run to lead by six at the break.

LSUS extended their lead to as many as 13 points with 14 minutes left in the game, but the Patriots kept fighting back and eventually found themselves with a one-point lead after a steal and a lay-up by Hakeem Kareem with 46 seconds remaining.

Stevenson was then fouled with 31 seconds left as he drove to the basket for the winning basket and successfully nailed both attempts. UT-Tyler had one last shot for the win, but a Anthony Reese miss and Gabe Hall rebound sealed the victory for the Pilots.

Stevenson finished the contest with a career-high 25 points, while going 11-for-11 from the free-throw line. Chris Gatlin and Derrick Parker each added 14 points and 7 rebounds for the Pilots.

LSUS (3-3) will have next week off before facing Texas Wesleyan next Saturday in Fort Worth.

PILOTS PROPAGANDA WEEK 3: LSUS Survives Wild Week to Even Record at 3-3

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

To say that nothing has come easy for the LSUS Pilots through their first six games of the 2008-2009 season would be an understatement. After a wild week-three however, LSUS evened their overall record at 3-3 with a gut wrenching 83-77 overtime victory over Wiley College, and followed with a 78-77 victory over the NCAA Division III University of Texas-Tyler Patriots.

After jumping out to a 25-6 lead to begin Wednesday nights contest against the Wiley College Wildcats, the two teams found themselves squared up at 72-72 at the end of regulation. The Pilots connected on three of their season high 17-three point attempts in the overtime session to pickup a much-needed 83-77 road victory over the Wildcats.

The Pilots continued their current six game road swing at the Fred Jaocby/I-20 Tip-Off Classic Friday night in Dallas, TX with an exhibition contest against the University of Texas-Dallas Comets. LSUS trailed 60-45 with 8:29 remaining in the second half but mounted a 15-0 run to tie the contest at 60-60 at the 3:16 mark. The Pilots ended up dropping a 71-66 decision in what turned out to be a free-throw contest over the final three minutes.

The week ended with a contest against the Patriots in which the Pilots found themselves down 13-points just 7:00 into regulation. Freshman Derrick Parker and junior point guard Jared Stevenson however combined for 22 of the Pilots 40 first half points which had the Pilots ahead 40-34 at the break.

LSUS led by 10-points at the 7:30 mark, a lead that was relinquished by the Patriots with 0:46 remaining after a field goal by Hakeem Kareem put the Patriots ahead 77-76. The Pilots regained the lead after Stevenson capped off a career high 27-point performance by connecting on what proved to be a pair of game winning free throws with 0:31 remaining. The Patriots opted to hold for the last shot, which was missed by Anthony Reese with 0:02 on the clock and rebounded by Gabe Hall to secure the victory for the Pilots.

While the Pilots may not have picked up any style points among the NAIA raters throughout the country this week, they did take care of business and go 2-0 on the week to even their overall record at 3-3 on the year. What the Pilots did show me this week however is that they are a program that knows how to win.

After squandering a 19-point lead in front of a hostile Wiley College crowd, the Pilots, who had only six eligible players in overtime out scored and out hustled the Wildcats in the extra session to pull off a huge road victory for the Pilots program.

In Saturdays contest the Pilots came back from an early 13-point deficit only to let a 13-point advantage slip away in the final minutes of the second half. In the end however, it was the Pilots who connected on the always-important free throws down the stretch and made a big defensive stand to hold on for yet another huge road victory.

Through the first six games of the regular season, four decisions have been decided by three points or less, with a 5th being decided by six points in overtime which ended in favor of the Pilots. Other than a 68-50 loss at the hands of the Southern States Athletic Conference leader Faulkner University Falcons (6-1, 2-0), the remaining five decisions on the Pilots schedule thus far have been decided by a total of 13 points.

Some may think the start to the Pilots season may be a disappointment. While there is no doubt that the loss Jarvis Christian hurt, I think this could be just what the Pilots needed. If the Pilots escaped with victories against JC and Auburn University-Montgomery, two contests that the Pilots lost by a combined total of four points, they would be looking at a 5-1 record and be feeling pretty good about themselves.

However, at 3-3 overall and hovering near the basement of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference standings through non-conference contests to date, I would have to believe the only thing on the minds of the Pilots is the importance of Saturday night's upcoming contest against the 2006 National Champions in the Texas Wesleyan University Rams.

The Rams hold a preseason ranking of No. 18 and currently hold a 3-1 overall record with their lone loss coming against Oklahoma Christian University. Highlighting their year to date is a victory over the No. 7 ranked Oklahoma Baptist University. The Rams also dropped a 74-71 decision in an exhibition game against NCAA Division I University of Texas-Arlington.

This game is a HUGE test for the Pilots. The Rams are currently the No. 1 rebounding team in the country and rank in the top five in steals, assists, defensive field goal percentage, and three-point field goal percentage defense per game in the NAIA.

If the Rams are anything like the Terry Waldrop coached teams of the past, they will be long and athletic and will pressure the ball for 40:00. And if there has been a chink in the armor of the Pilots this year it has been on the boards. The Pilots average 37-rebounds per contest and will have to work for everyone they can get Saturday against the Rams who average 50.7-rebounds per contest.

With that being said, I am very excited about the performances by Chris Gatlin and Jared Stevenson this week. Gatlin collected a career high 23-points against Wiley College which included seven three-pointers and followed with a 14-point performance in which he was 6-of-7 from the field. Stevenson is also coming off a career best after finishing with 27-points in Saturday’s contest against the Patriots.

The increased output from Gatlin and Stevenson along with the steady play of Parker in the post may lift some of the offensive pressure which may be felt from Tyrone Hamilton who is currently 4th in scoring in the NAIA averaging 23.3 points per game. The scary thing is, aside from an opening night 44-point performance, Hamilton has struggled to find a rhythm from the floor as opposing defenses have held him to shooting just 33% from the floor. But, like I stated in an earlier addition, it is going to take some time for this year’s squad to come together. The more games they get under their belt, the together they are going to be. The Pilots have been getting big games out of different players every night thus far, but they are going to need to put forth a combined effort this Saturday in order to collect a win that would be a huge resume booster throughout the duration of the season.

In the mean time, and in between time, that’s it for this week’s edition Pilots Propaganda.

No. 15 Rams Edge Pilots, 70-69

NOVEMBER 29, 2008

FORT WORTH, Texas - The No. 15 ranked Texas Wesleyan University men’s basketball team took a 70- 69 win over No. 8 LSUS, as Tyrone Hamilton's missed shot at the end of regulation left the Pilots on the short end on Saturday.

LSUS opened the game on fire from beyond the arc and used a tenacious defensive effor to grab a 10- point lead at 22-12 early on. Texas Wesleyan managed to cut the margin to five at 27-22, but the Pilots responded again and went into the locker room with a 36-26 half-time lead.

The Pilots maintained a double-digit lead throughout much of the early portion of the second half, until the Rams began chipping away at the lead midway through the half. Texas Wesleyan cut the Pilots lead down to just two points, but a 7-0 run by LSUS pushed them back ahead 59-50.

However, Wesleyan responded with a 13-3 run and took a one-point lead at the 6 minute mark on a free- throw by Terrell Henry, their first lead since the 18:12 mark of the first half.

The lead changed hands four more times before Texas Wesleyan went up 70-69 on a three from Chris Berry with just over one minute left in the game.

On the Rams' final possession the Pilots played outstanding defense, blocking a pair of shots and forcing a shot-clock violation, to get the ball back with 13 seconds to play. With five seconds remaining, Hamilton’s jumper missed its mark and the clock expired as each team scrambled for the rebound.

Four of the five LSUS starters reached double-figures in scoring, led by Hamilton’s 21. Chris Gatlin finished the game with 15 points, while Clarke Jackson had 12 in his season debut and Jared Stevenson scored 11. Berry and Henry paced the Rams with 22 points apiece. Hector Mukweyi added 13 points, nine rebounds, and five blocked shots off the bench.

The Pilots (3-4) will return to action on Tuesday night when they face Wiley College at The Dock. LSUS needed overtime to defeat Wiley in an earlier contest this season.

Pilots Dominate Wildcats

DECEMBER 02, 2008

SHREVEPORT, La. - The LSUS Pilots picked up a 91-69 win over the Wiley Wildcats behind career performances from seniors Chris Gatlin, Clarke Jackson and Tyrone Hamilton.

Gatlin finished the night with a career-high 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while Jackson scored a career- high 21 points in his season debut at The Dock. Hamilton aided in Gatlin and Jackson's career-high scoring night by dishing out a career-high 14 assists, which also tied the LSUS school record.

The Pilots used a 50% shooting performance in the first half and a smothering defensive effort to jump out to a 45-24 lead at the break. LSUS held the Wildcats to just 9-for-30 in the first 20 minutes, using their pressure defense to force contested shots and several turnovers.

LSUS continued their hot shooting in the second half, going 16-for-26 from the field to finish the game shooting over 55%. Wiley shot the ball much better in the second half, but could not find their range from the three-point line, making just one attempt in ten tries to finish the game just 4-for-18 (22%).

The Pilots move to 4-4 with the win and will take on on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 P.M at The Dock.

Pilots Rally Late to Defeat Steers

DECEMBER 06, 2008

Shreveport, La. – The LSUS Pilots men’s basketball team used a 12-3 run over the final four minutes to secure an 83-77 victory over the visiting Texas College Steers on Saturday afternoon at The Dock. LSUS jumped out to a 21-9 lead just six minutes into the contest, but the Steers would battle back to tie the game at 38-38 on a three-point basket by CZYZ Bennett with 3:03 left in the first half. Texas College took their first lead of the game just one minute later on a made basket by Von Applewhite. A three- pointer by LSUS’ Chris Gatlin with 15 seconds remaining in the half tied the game at 45-45.

In the second half, the lead changed five times before Texas College took a six-point lead over the home team with 9:38 left in the game. LSUS from there would go on a 10-0 run and take a 67-63 lead following another Gatlin three-point basket. However, Texas College was not done fighting, as they tied the game once again at 71-71 on a three-pointer by Shreveport native Xavier Yates, and eventually took a three- point lead with just over four minutes left in the ballgame.

LSUS though would remain calm, as three consecutive field goals by Gatlin, John Anthony Anglin and Tyrone Hamilton gave the Pilots a five-point lead with 2:57 remaining. The Steers, however, would only manage one more basket over the final 4:30 of the contest, as the Pilots hung on for the hard fought victory.

LSUS placed all five starters in double figures with Hamilton leading the way with 20 points. Gatlin poured in 18 points, while Derrick Parker (14), Clarke Jackson (11) and Jared Stevenson (10) rounded out the double-digit scorers.

Although the Steers shot 56% for the game, their 23 turnovers to the Pilots 10 turnovers proved to be the difference in the contest. The Pilots capitalized on the Steers’ turnovers by converting them into 22 points.

LSUS moved to 5-4 with the win and will take the week off before facing Northwestern State in an exhibition contest next Saturday in Natchitoches.

Northwestern State Tops LSUS

DECEMBER 13, 2008

NATCHITOCHES — Devin White scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Northwestern State to a 85-64 win over LSUS tonight in an exhibition contest for the Pilots.

Trailing by just six points (36-30) at the break, LSUS fell behind quickly to begin the second half and could never recover from a 19-5 Northwestern run that put the Demons ahead 55-35 with 14:37 remaining in the contest. NSU's William Mosley finished with 16 points and 18 rebounds for the Demons (5-4). Mosley and White each blocked four shots.

Tyrone Hamilton led the Pilots (5-4) with 13 points and seven assists, while true freshman Derrick Parker chipped in with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Gabe Hall also added a career-high 11 points from off the bench in the loss.

Northwestern State scored 31 points off of the Pilots’ 20 turnovers, and also outrebounded LSUS 54-42.

The Pilots struggled to score throughout much of the game, shooting just 33.3 percent from the field (22- for-66) and only 14.3 percent from 3-point range (3-for-21).

LSUS will return to action Monday night versus Paul Quinn College in Dallas.

Gatlin's Free Throws Lift Pilots to Victory

DECEMBER 16, 2008

DALLAS, Texas - LSUS senior Chris Gatlin hit two free throws with 4.3 seconds to play to lift the Pilots to a two-point victory over Paul Quinn.

LSUS led by 16 at the half, but managed only 22 second-half points as Paul Quinn rallied to tie the game at 66 with 20 seconds to play.

With LSUS holding the ball for the final shot, Paul Quinn knocked the ball out of bounds with 5.5 seconds remaining before Gatlin worked himself free on an inbounds play and drew the foul.

After Gatlin's two made free throws, Paul Quinn's desperation 3-pointer hit the back iron as time expired giving the Pilots a 68-66 victory.

Gatlin finished with 13 points while Clarke Jackson led LSUS (6-4) with 14 points. Jared Stevenson also chipped in 13 for the Pilots.

No. 7 Texas Wesleyan Downs LSUS in Final Seconds

DECEMBER 30, 2008

Shreveport, La. - The No. 7 Texas Wesleyan Rams escaped with a 71-67 victory over the LSUS Pilots on Tuesday afternoon, scoring four unanswered points over the final 26 seconds to pick up the win.

LSUS senior Clarke Jackson tied the game at 67 after a steal and a made free throw with 26 seconds remaining in the contest, but Wesleyan's Willie Sweat managed to sneak behind the LSUS defense for what would eventually be the game-winning basket with 13 seconds left. Sweat then forced an LSUS turnover and converted it into a layup with one second on the clock, giving the Rams a four-point road win.

For the second time in as many meetings, the Pilots held the advantage in the scoring column for the majority of the contest. However, on both occassions, the Rams were able to fight their way back into each contest and pull out the victory in the final seconds.

TWU's Chris Berry, the nation's ninth leading scorer, finished with a game-high 22 points in the win.

LSUS placed three players in double figures with Jackson leading the way with 18 points, but the Rams held LSUS' leading scorer Tyrone Hamilton to just six points for the game. Jared Stevenson added 16 points for the Pilots, while John Anthony Anglin scored 14 from off the bench.

LSUS (6-5) will be back in action next Monday when they travel to Hawkins, Texas, to face the Jarvis Christian Bulldogs.

Jackson's Free Throws Complete LSUS Comeback

JANUARY 06, 2009

HAWKINS, Texas. - Two free throws by LSUS senior Clarke Jackson with 4.2 seconds left in the game lifted the Pilots to a 60-58 victory over the No. 25 Jarvis Christian Bulldogs on Monday night.

The Pilots trailed 36-25 at the break and fell behind by as many as 13 points in the second half before rallying to upset the nationally ranked Bulldogs. A Deveon Jenkins free throw with 35 seconds remaining tied the game at 58. With the Pilots holding the ball for the last shot, Jackson was fouled on a potential game-winning three-point shot. He then missed the first free throw, but successfully connected on the next two to give the Pilots a two-point lead.

A desperation half court shot by JCC's Mahershal Simonet bounced off the backboard as time expired.

LSUS earned the victory on Monday night by pressuring and forcing Jarvis into 29 turnovers in the contest. The Pilots converted those turnovers into 22 points, 16 of which came in the second-half comeback.

Senior Chris Gatlin had one of his best games in a Pilot uniform, finishing with a game-high 24 points, including several big second-chance baskets late in the game.

LSUS (7-5) will enter Gulf Coast Athletic Conference play on Thursday night when they take on the Xavier Gold Rush at 7:30 p.m. at The Dock.

Pilots Hold Off Gold Rush in GCAC Opener

JANUARY 08, 2009

SHREVEPORT, La. – LSUS used a late 10-3 second half run to pull away from the visiting Xavier University Gold Rush and hang on for an 80-74 victory in the conference opener on Thursday night at The Dock.

Seniors Tyrone Hamilton and Chris Gatlin combined for 43 of the Pilots 81 points, as LSUS moved to 8-5 overall and 1-0 in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference play. Point guard Jared Stevenson scored 13 of his 15 points in the final 20 minutes of action, while also dishing out a game-high 7 assists in the win.

The two teams exchanged blow-for-blow in the first half, as the Pilots entered the break with a one-point lead (39-38). The Gold Rush led by as many as six points after opening the second half with an 11-4 run, but the Pilots would respond with an 18-5 run of their own, capped off by two Mike Pilgrim free throws, to take back the lead for good. Pilgrim scored 10 points in his LSUS debut.

Xavier trimmed the LSUS lead down to five with just five minutes to play, but back-to-back baskets by Stevenson and a huge three from the corner by John Anthony Anglin pushed the Pilot lead by to 10 at the 3:44 mark. The Pilots shot 52% from the field in the contest, while holding the Gold Rush to just 39%. Although the Pilots struggled from the three-point line, they found ways to attack the basket and find their way to the charity stripe. LSUS made 21 free throws on the night, while knocking down 80% of their attempts.

Xavier was led by Shaun Dumas’ 18 points, while Olumide Olafioye finished with 15. Cornelius Kennedy and Michael Harvey each finished in double figures with 13 and 11 points respectively.

LSUS will take on Spring Hill College on Saturday night at The Dock, while the Gold Rush will head over to Jackson to face Belhaven. Saturday’s tip is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Pilots Move to 2-0 in GCAC Play With Win Over Spring Hill

JANUARY 10, 2009

SHREVEPORT, La. – The LSUS Pilots moved to 2-0 in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference play with an 82- 70 victory over the Spring Hill Badgers on Saturday night.

The Pilots fell behind 10-4 in the first three minutes of the contest, but LSUS responded with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to take a 13-10 lead. Spring Hill retook the lead after back-to-back baskets put them ahead 14-13. However, that would be their last lead of the contest as the Pilots opened things up with a 13-0 run that put them up 12 points late in the first half.

LSUS led by as many as 17 points in the opening stanza before Spring Hill managed to cut the Pilot lead down to 12 at the break.

Spring Hill trimmed the LSUS lead down to eight early in the second half, but they could never get any closer. The Pilots extended their lead out to 19 points midway through the second half and cruised to an easy 12-point home win.

For the second straight game, seniors Tyrone Hamilton and Chris Gatlin led the LSUS attack with 21 and 17 points respectively. Point guard Jared Stevenson scored 15 points, while freshman Derrick Parker added 12 points and 13 rebounds in the win.

LSUS outrebounded the visitors 48-36 for the game, which included 15 offensive rebounds that eventually led to 18 second-chance points for the Pilots.

Marcus Coleman paced the Badgers with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the three-point line. LSUS (9-5) will next travel to face William Carey on Thursday night in Hattiesburg.

Men's Basketball Re-enters Top 25

JANUARY 14, 2009

SHREVEPORT, La. – The LSUS men’s basketball team found themselves back in the NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll this week, coming in at No. 24 in the latest national rankings.

The Pilots began the 2008-09 season ranked as the No. 8 team in the country, but after a 1-3 start, they fell out of the Top 25 for the first time in two seasons. However, after winning eight of their last ten games and their first two Gulf Coast Athletic Conference contests, the Pilots re-entered the rankings.

LSUS (9-5) will face their first conference road test on Thursday night when they face the William Carey Crusaders in Hattiesburg. Carey has dropped their first two conference games, including a four overtime loss to Loyola University-New Orleans last Saturday.

Pilots Earn Road Victory Over William Carey

JANUARY 16, 2009

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - LSUS junior Mike Pilgrim provided the Pilots offense with the spark they needed on Thursday night, scoring a game-high 23 points from off the bench in a 65-61 victory over William Carey.

LSUS had trouble scoring and shooting the basketball for most of the night, but a 9-for-12 performance from the field by Pilgrim helped offset a tough shooting night overall for the Pilots.

The Pilots offense managed just 25 points in the first half, but their defense essentially kept them in the game by holding the Crusaders to just 27 points over the first 20 minutes.

In the second half, the Pilots found themselves down five points midway through, but back-to-back Pilgrim dunks cut the Carey lead to just one. The teams battled back-and-forth for the next six minutes, until a Chris Gatlin three-point basket from the corner gave the Pilots a one-point lead. LSUS used nothing but free throws down the stretch to extend their lead and eventually hold on for the four-point road win.

Tyrone Hamilton finished with 13 points and a game-high 6 assists in the win, while Gatlin added 11 points to finish in double figures.

LSUS (10-5, 3-0) has now won 9 out of their last 11 games, and they will take on Belhaven College on Saturday night at The Dock.

No. 24 Pilots Hold Off Blazers

JANUARY 18, 2009

SHREVEPORT, La. - No. 24 LSUS held off a second-half rally by the visiting Belhaven Blazers to earn their fifth straight win of the season, including four straight Gulf Coast Athletic Conference games.

The Pilots sit alone atop the GCAC standing after beating the Blazers 79-68 on Saturday night at The Dock.

Senior Chris Gatlin led the way for the Pilots with 19 points, including a 5-for-7 performance from behind the arc.

The Blazers led for the first eight minutes of the contest, but after back-to-back three-point baskets by Gatlin tied the game at 18, point guard Jared Stevenson connected on a traditional three-point play to give the Pilots a 21-18 lead.

LSUS then went on a 25-7 run that extended into the first two possessions of the second half, putting the Pilots ahead 46-25 with 19 minutes left in the game.

The Blazers mounted a late rally and trimmed the Pilots lead down to just six on two different occassions, but they could not get any closer as the Pilots made their free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

LSUS finished the game 37-of-51 from the charity stripe, with Mike Pilgrim leading the way with 13 makes. Tyrone Hamilton connected on 12 free throws, while Stevenson finished 6-for-7.

Hamilton scored 17 points and dished out a game-high 7 assists. Stevenson finished with 16 points and Pilgrim added 15 points to go along with his team-high 7 rebounds. LSUS (11-5, 4-0) has won 10 of their last 12 games and will take on Tougaloo College on Thursday night in Jackson.

Pilots Climbing Their Way Up National Rankings

JANUARY 19, 2009

SHREVEPORT, La. – LSUS jumped five spots in this week's NAIA Division 1 Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, coming in at No. 19 in the latest national rankings.

The Pilots (11-5, 4-0) are beginning to gain national attention after winning five consecutive games, including four straight Gulf Coast Athletic Conference contests and a road victory over No. 14 Jarvis Christian. LSUS has won 10 of their last 12 games and is the only remaining undefeated team in GCAC play.

Westminster (Utah) becomes the fifth different team this season to be ranked No. 1, this time earning 310 total points and nine first-place votes, in the fifth edition of the 2008-09 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, announced today (Jan. 19). The Griffins have won eight straight games and was No. 2 last week. They moved up after the reigning No. 1 team, Mountain State (W. Va.), lost a 96-91 decision to unranked West Virginia Tech last week.

Rogers State (Okla.) climbed up one spot to No. 2 and collected 300 points and two first-place votes. Winners of a nation-best 15 straight games, No. 3 Georgetown (Ky.) notched the remaining first-place vote. No. 4 Mountain State and No. 5 Oklahoma Baptist round out the Top 5.

Five teams enter the Top 25 after sitting out last week: No. 15 California Baptist, No. 20 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.), No. 21 Oklahoma Christian, No. 23 (tied) Evangel (Mo.) and No. 25 Crichton (Tenn.).

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. The sixth regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on Monday, Jan. 26.

For more information on NAIA men’s basketball, please click here (http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m- baskbl/naia-m-baskbl-body.html).

Notes: In six polls this season (including preseason), there have been five different No. 1 teams (Oklahoma City, California Baptist, Cumberlands (Ky.), Mountain State and now Westminster (Utah)). With 18 wins, Westminster and Georgetown (Ky.) both lead the country in total wins. Illinois-Springfield (No. 19), Oklahoma City (No. 21) and Martin Methodist (No. 24) all fell out of the Top 25 this week. Both No. 20 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) and No. 25 Crichton (Tenn.) are earning a spot for the first time this season – FHU earns first ranking since March 11, 2003 (No. 21) and Crichton is in the Top 25 for the first time since Oct. 31, 2007 (No. 3).

2008 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – (Jan. 19)

RANK LAST WEEK SCHOOL (1st PLACE VOTES) 2008-09 RECORD* TOTAL POINTS

1 2 Westminster College (Utah) (9) 18-1 310

2 T3 Rogers State University (Okla.) (2) 15-1 300

3 T3 Georgetown College (Ky.) (1) 18-1 291

4 1 Mountain State University (W.Va.) 14-2 284

5 7 Oklahoma Baptist University 15-2 265

6 8 Fresno Pacific University (Calif.) 14-3 264

7 11 Cumberland University (Tenn.) 14-2 248

8 9 McKendree University (Ill.) 15-4 238

9 6 University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) 13-4 227

10 5 Union University (Tenn.) 14-4 207

11 10 Robert Morris College (Ill.) 13-3 202

12 12 Southern Polytechnic State University (Ga.) 15-4 195

13 13 Carroll College (Mont.) 13-1 194

14 15 Jarvis Christian College (Texas) 11-3 181

15 RV California Baptist University 13-3 180

16 18 Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) 14-2 159

17 16 Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.) 14-3 156

18 17 Texas Wesleyan University 12-3 136

19 T24 Louisiana State University-Shreveport 11-5 128

20 RV Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) 13-6 120

21 RV Oklahoma Christian University 13-4 99 22 20 Lee University (Tenn.) 12-4 83

T23 23 The Master's College (Calif.) 12-5 80

T23 RV Evangel University (Mo.) 12-5 80

25 RV Crichton College (Tenn.) 14-4 65

Others receiving votes:

University of Illinois at Springfield 59; West Virginia Institute of Technology (WV) 37; Martin Methodist College (Tenn.) 28; Northwestern Oklahoma

State University 25; Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) 23; MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) 22; Loyola University (La.) 20; Central Methodist

University (Mo.) 7; Oklahoma City University 5; State University-Northern 4; Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.) 3; William Jewell College

(Mo.) 1; Tougaloo College (Miss.) 1; Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) 1; Emmanuel College (Ga.) 1; Lambuth University (Tenn.) 1; Trevecca Nazarene

University (Tenn.) 1; Concordia University (Calif.) 1; Brescia University (Ky.) 1; Pikeville College (Ky.) 1; Xavier University (La.) 1

No. 19 Pilots Keep Rolling

JANUARY 23, 2009

Jackson, Miss. – The LSUS men’s basketball team remained unbeaten in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference play on Thursday night, defeating Tougaloo College 71-65 at Kroger Gymnasium.

The Pilots (12-5, 5-0) trailed by as many as 11 points midway through the second half, but fought their way back and finished the game on a 23-6 run over the final eight minutes to pick up a huge road win.

LSUS took a 41-38 lead on a John Anthony Anglin three-pointer at the 15 minute mark, but the Bulldogs responded with a 15-1 run of their own over the next five minutes and seemingly had the game in hand before the Pilots made their final run.

Senior Chris Gatlin scored 19 points in the contest, including going 5-for-8 from the three-point line. Tyrone Hamilton added 13 points for the victors, while Jared Stevenson finished with 11.

Although the Pilots came into tonight’s game shooting over 72% as a team from the charity stripe this season, they struggled mightily from the free throw line on Thursday. LSUS shot just 55% from the line in the game, but they finished the contest with 10 more makes than the Bulldogs. LSUS now travels to New Orleans to face the SUNO Knights on Saturday night. Tip off for Saturday’s game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and can be heard live over the internet by visiting the LSUS Athletics website five minutes prior to the start.

Pilots Drop First Conference Game

JANUARY 25, 2009

New Orleans, La. - No. 19 LSUS lost for the first time in seven games, as the home team SUNO Knights upset the Pilots 88-80 on Saturday at The Castle.

Despite shooting 50% from the field for the game, LSUS turned the ball over 17 times and made just 18- of-31 (58%) free-throws in the loss.

SUNO outscored the Pilots 49-42 in the final 20 minutes and finished the game shooting 44% from the field and 41% from the three-point line. SUNO held the Pilots to just 1-of-10 from the three-point line in the second half to aid in the victory.

Chris Gatlin led the Pilots with 22 points, while Mike Pilgrim added a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman Derrick Parker contributed 12 points in the defeat.

LSUS (12-6, 5-1) remains in first place in the GCAC standings with a Loyola loss on Saturday, and the Pilots will take on Loyola on Monday night at The Den in New Orleans.

No. 20 LSUS Drops Second Straight Contest

JANUARY 27, 2009

New Orleans, La.- Loyola forward Ryan Brock scored at least 20 points for the sixth straight game, leading the Wolfpack to a 82-74 victory over the 20th-ranked LSU-Shreveport Pilots Monday night at The Den.

The Pilots controlled the tip and Clarke Jackson scored inside for a 2-0 Pilot lead in the opening seconds of the contest.

After Ryan Brock tied the game on the Wolfpack’s ensuing possession, LSU-S came down and scored off a lay-in by Derrick Parker to lead 4-2. It was the Pilots last lead of the game.

The Pilots tied the game at 17-17 on a basket by Tyrone Hamilton with just under 11 minutes to go in the first half. Torry Beaulieu’s three ball on the Wolfpack’s next trip started an 18-5 Loyola run that gave Loyola their largest lead of the game at 35-22 with just over 5:30 left before half.

The Pilots responded with a 14-4 run of their own, culminating with Clarke Jackson making two from the charity stripe, to cut the Wolfpack advantage to 39-37 with 1:30 left. The Wolfpack took a 43-39 lead into the break.

In the second half, another Torry Beaulieu three pointer, this one three and a half minutes into the second period, pushed the Wolfpack’s advantage back up to double-digits at 54-44.

With Loyola holding onto a nine point lead at71-62, the Pilots scored nine unanswered to tie the game at 71 with just over four minutes left to go.

However, Torry Beaulieu found Sean Bennett to start a game clinching 7-0 Wolfpack run that Beaulieu finished off with a basket of his own to make it 78-71 with just under 1:30 to play.

Ryan Brock led all scorers with 20 points. Torry Beaulieu added 14 and Nick Tuszynski put in 12 to lead the Loyola offensively. Tuszynski also grabbed a game high nine rebounds. The Wolfpack (12-6, 5-2 GCAC) shot 51.5% from the field (34 of 66). With the win, Loyola moves into a share of the conference lead.

Five Pilots scored in double figures, led by Chris Gatlin’s 14 points. Jared Stevenson added 12, Derrick Parker put in 11 while Tyrone Hamilton and Brandon Mims each scored ten points apiece. The Pilots (12- 7, 5-2 GCAC) hit 42.4% from the field (28 of 66) and 38.5% from above the arc (10 of 26).

*Story Courtesy of the Loyola Sports Information Department

Pilots Stop Two-Game Skid With 85-73 Victory

JANUARY 29, 2009

Shreveport, La. - No. 20 LSUS had lost two consecutive GCAC games for the first time since January 2007 entering tonight's contest versus the Dillard Blue Devils, but the Pilots picked up an 85-73 victory to remain in tie for first place in the GCAC.

Senior Chris Gatlin scored a game and career-high 26 points, while adding a game-high 11 rebounds in the win. Gatlin finished the night 10-for-19 from the field and 3-for-7 from the three-point line.

The Pilots outrebounded the Blue Devils 42-29, including 14 offensive rebounds which they converted into 20 points.

LSUS shot 56% in the second half, as they outscored Dillard 47-36 over the final 20 minutes. The Pilots led by as many as 18 points late in the second half and eventually cruised to a 12-point win.

Dillard's David Manning scored a game-high 30 points.

Tyrone Hamilton finished with 18 points for LSUS, while freshman Derrick Parker scored 9 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.

LSUS (13-7, 6-2) returns to action on Saturday night versus Mobile. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at The Dock.

Pilots Dismantle Rams

JANUARY 31, 2009

Shreveport, La. – No. 20 LSUS used one of its best defensive efforts of the season to easily defeat the Mobile Rams 90-62 Saturday at The Dock.

LSUS forced 20 turnovers and limited the Rams to just 39% from the field in the win. The Pilots used a variety of defenses throughout the contest to confuse and give the Rams trouble. Against LSUS’ zone, the Rams connected on only 5-of-17 attempts from behind the arc, while the Pilots limited them to just one shot on almost every possession. Offensively, senior Tyrone Hamilton sparked the Pilots from off the bench with a game-high 22 points. Hamilton entered the game at the 17:32 mark in the first half and reeled off five consecutive three- pointers to spark a 27-4 LSUS run that gave the Pilots control of the game.

LSUS led by as many as 23 points in the first half before entering the break with a 48-28 lead.

In the second half, Mobile never got closer than 14 points as LSUS kept them outside of striking distance for the rest of the game. Junior Mike Pilgrim scored 13 of his 18 points in the final 20 minutes, as LSUS cruised to victory.

Chris Gatlin added 17 for the Pilots and Clarke Jackson scored 14 to put four LSUS players in double figures.

Pilgrim finished with a game-high 11 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals to go along with his 18 points.

LSUS (14-7, 7-2) remains tied for first place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference standings and will face Tougaloo College on Thursday night at The Dock.

Tougaloo Upsets No. 23 LSUS

FEBRUARY 05, 2009

SHREVEPORT, La. – The Tougaloo College Bulldogs entered The Dock Thursday night with first place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference on their minds, and they walked out of the LSUS gymnasium in a tie for first place after upsetting the No. 23 LSUS Pilots, 96-91, on their home floor.

Tougaloo led from start-to-finish, as the Pilots only managed to tie the game once at 16 early in the first half. The Bulldogs led by as many as 13 with eight minutes remaining in the contest before the Pilots made a late push. Senior Tyrone Hamilton missed short on a potential game-tying three pointer with 20 seconds left, and the Bulldogs closed out the game with two made free throws.

Tougaloo finished the game shooting 19-for-22 from the free-throw line, while also connecting on almost half of their three-point attempts (9-for-19).

The difference in the ballgame, however, was Tougaloo’s ability to get easy baskets off of dribble penetration. As a result, the Bulldogs shot 58% from the field and scored a season-high 96 points. Jermaine Hodges led a slew of Bulldogs in double figures with 25 points, including going 10-for-11 from the free-throw line.

Junior Mike Pilgrim played his best game in a Pilots uniform, finishing with a game-high 29 points and 12 rebounds. Hamilton added 21 and Chris Gatlin scored 15 in the loss.

LSUS (14-8, 7-3) will travel to New Orleans to take on Xavier on Saturday night. The Pilots are currently tied for first place with Loyola and Tougaloo, while Xavier is one game behind at 6-4.

No. 23 LSUS Drops Second Straight

FEBRUARY 07, 2009

New Orleans, La. - It had been nearly two years since the LSUS men's basketball program had dropped back-to-back GCAC games, but in a span of two weeks, the Pilots have now done it twice this season with Saturday's 77-65 loss at Xavier.

After LSUS rallied to cut a 13-point Gold Rush lead down to 43-41, the Pilots would never get closer as the home team pulled away late for a 12-point win.

Xavier senior Kelechi Okoroha scored a career-high 28 points in the win, while Michael Harvey added 14 points.

LSUS was led by Derrick Parker's 16 points and 10 rebounds. Jared Stevenson (14) and Tyrone Hamilton (10) were the only other Pilots in double figures.

The Pilots outshot the Gold Rush for the game (43% to 39%), but LSUS was miserable from behind the arc and at the free-throw line. The Pilots connected on just 6-of-24 from the three-point line and shot a season-low 39% at the charity stripe.

Xavier took advantage of 47 trips to the foul line, making 37 free throws on the night. LSUS shot just 18 free throws in the contest.

LSUS (14-9, 7-4) falls into a second-place tie with the Gold Rush following the loss, and they will take on Dillard University on Monday night in New Orleans. Pilots Win Big in the Big Easy

FEBRUARY 10, 2009

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The LSUS men’s basketball won for the first time in four tries this season in the Big Easy, defeating Dillard University 84-66 on Monday night.

The Pilots got off to a blistering start, thanks to the hot shooting of senior guard Tyrone Hamilton. In his first game back in the starting lineup since coming off the bench the last five games, Hamilton connected on three three-point baskets in the first two minutes to help LSUS take an early 10-2 lead over the Blue Devils.

The Pilots, who never trailed in the contest, used a solid defensive effort in the first half to take control of the game. LSUS forced Dillard into 10 first-half turnovers, which they converted into 12 points. LSUS also held the home team to just 28% shooting from the field in the first 20 minutes, as the Pilots went into the halftime break with a 43-25 lead.

In the second half, LSUS maintained a double-digit lead throughout the first 12 minutes before the Blue Devils eventually trimmed their lead down to 9. However, Dillard would never get any closer as Chris Gatlin slammed the door shut with a huge three-point shot, his fifth three of the contest.

Gatlin led LSUS with 23 points. Mike Pilgrim added 19 points from off the bench and Hamilton finished with 18 for the Pilots.

David Manning paced Dillard with 23 points in the loss.

LSUS (15-9, 8-4) is currently in a tie for second place in the GCAC with Loyola and Xavier. The Pilots will host Loyola on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.

Pilots Rally For Victory Over Loyola

FEBRUARY 12, 2009

Shreveport, La. - LSUS twice rallied from 11 point deficits to pick up a hard earned conference victory over Loyola, 99-91, on Thursday night at The Dock.

Trailing by 11 with 14 minutes remaining in the contest, LSUS slowly chipped away at the Loyola lead and eventually tied the contest at 70-70 with just under 10 minutes left in the game. The Pilots took their first lead since the first minute of the game with 5:38 on the second half clock on a made field goal by freshman Derrick Parker and would never trail again in the contest.

A made basket by Tyrone Hamilton and a huge three-pointer from the top of the key by Chris Gatlin extended the LSUS lead to six points with just two minutes remaining, and the Pilots used a stingy defense and free throws to hang on for the victory.

The Pilots, who continually gave up easy baskets throughout the majority of the contest, made the defensive stops when it mattered most.

LSUS staved off incredible offensive performances by Loyola guards Ryan Brock, Sean Bennett and Torry Beaulieu. Brock and Bennett scored a game-high 27 points, while Beaulieu added 21.

The Pilots were led by Mike Pilgrim's 26 points. Parker finished with 19 points and 8 rebounds, while Gatlin (13), John Anthony Anglin (13), Hamilton (11) and Clarke Jackson (10) also finished in double figures.

With the win, LSUS remains one game out of first place in the GCAC standings behind Tougaloo, while Loyola sits two games back.

LSUS (16-9, 9-4) will face William Carey University on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m at The Dock.

Pilots Hold Off Crusaders for Win

FEBRUARY 14, 2009

Shreveport, La. – The LSUS men’s basketball team held off a late push by the William Carey Crusaders to pick up a 61-55 victory on Saturday night at The Dock.

Chris Gatlin’s three-point basket with 49 seconds left in the game helped lift the Pilots to a much-needed win in GCAC play. With the Pilots leading by just one (56-55), freshman Derrick Parker found Gatlin open in the corner, where he nailed the game’s biggest shot.

LSUS and Carey battled back and forth for the first 15 minutes until the Pilots went on a late 11-5 run to end the half and head into the break up by five.

The Pilots extended their lead to as many as 11 points midway through the second half, but a 7-0 carey run from the 8-minute mark to the 6-minute mark closed the Pilot lead to just two points. Carey would eventually get within one point with 1:54 remaining in the contest on a made basket by Dexter Middleton; however that would be the last basket the visitors would score in the game, as Gatlin’s three put the Pilots back in front by four.

Gatlin led the Pilots with a game-high 18 points, while Mike Pilgrim chipped in a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Tyrone Hamilton was the only other Pilot to reach double figures, finishing with 13 points and a game- high 7 assists.

Julius Blanks of William Carey was the only Crusader in double figures, scoring 13 points for the visitors.

LSUS (17-9, 10-4) will next face the University of Mobile on Thursday night in Mobile.

Pilgrim Named GCAC Player of the Week

FEBRUARY 16, 2009

Shreveport, La. - LSUS junior Mike Pilgrim has been named the GCAC Player of the Week, as announced by the league's office earlier today.

Pilgrim helped the Pilots to three wins last week, including an upset win over No. 23 Loyola in which he scored 26 points and pulled down 7 rebounds.

Pilgrim has continued to make an impact for the Pilots since joining the lineup at the semester break. He is averaging 15 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds in 14 games played this season.

Pilgrim shot 68% from the field on the week, while also shooting 80% from the free-throw line.

Huge Second Half Propels Mobile Over Pilots

FEBRUARY 19, 2009

MOBILE, Ala. — The University of Mobile men's basketball team shot a blistering 83% from the field in the second half to run by visiting LSUS 86-71 Thursday evening. The Pilots entered the game in 2nd place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, while the Rams entered in 8th place, but Mobile dominated the final period. Donte Walker led Mobile (14-12, 6-9) with 19 points and 6 assists, Treii Pace added 18 points, Sasa Lazic chipped in 14 and Brock Dockery added 11 points for the Rams.

Derrick Parker led the Pilots (17-10, 10-5) with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor. Tyrone Hamilton added 10 points for the visitors.

The opening half saw the teams exchange leads until the Pilots went into the break holding on to a 31-30 advantage. In the half, LSUS shot 53%, while Mobile was held to 43% from the floor and 33% from the charity stripe.

The second half was a completely different story as the Rams hit 19-of-23 shots from the field and 14-of- 18 from the free throw line, while LSUS was limited to 40% from the floor.

In the first 8:20 of the final half, neither team could pull away by more than 3 and the teams found themselves locked up at 48-48. From there, Mobile used an 18-8 run, capped by a bucket from Lazic to go up 66-56. From that point on, Mobile knocked down 10-of-12 from the free throw line to pull away for the victory.

LSUS will next face Spring Hill College on Saturday night in Mobile.

*Story courtesy of the Mobile Sports Information Department

Lady Pilots, Pilots Sweep Blazers

FEBRUARY 26, 2009

Please check back later tonight for complete recaps of both games.

Pilots Down Blazers

FEBRUARY 27, 2009

Jackson, Miss. - In a fast paced game from the opening tip-off, the LSUS Pilots defeated the Belhaven men’s basketball team in their final home game of the regular season Thursday night in Rugg Arena 88- 82. The Blazers overall record drops to 16-12 and 8-9 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. The Pilots improve to 18-11 overall and 11-6 in the GCAC.

Belhaven had an early lead at 7-5 after a pair of Nathaniel Roche’ free throws with 17:09 to play in the first half, but it proved to be the only advantage they would have the rest of the night. LSUS gained an 8-7 lead on a free throw by Tyrone Hamilton with 16:13 on the first half clock and expanded the lead to five at 12-7 with 15:38 to go in the opening period.

The Pilots took an 11 point lead at 32-21 on a Derrick Parker basket with 7:33 on the first half clock. LSUS expanded their lead to 16 points at the 2:23 mark of the first half before Belhaven cut the deficit to 14 on a free throw by Roche’ right before halftime. When the buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read 47-32 in favor of the Pilots.

The Blazers made a run to get back in the game at the start of the second half pulling to within seven points at 50-43 on a field goal by Roche’ with 17:34 to go in the contest. The Pilots responded with an 18- 6 run to give them their largest lead of the game at 68-49.

Belhaven did not go away hitting some key three pointers to make it a two possession game at 79-73 with 1:45 on the clock. However, that was the closest Belhaven would get the rest of the game. LSUS came away with some clutch rebounds and made seven free throws in the final 1:11 of the contest to seal the 88-82 victory.

LSUS had five players score in double figures led by Chris Gatlin with 21 points. Derrick Parker had 13 points followed by Brandon Mims and Mike Pilgrim with 12 points a piece. Tyrone Hamilton registered 11 points in the Pilot victory over the Blazers. LSUS made 50 percent of their field goals and hit 63.2 percent of their free throw opportunities.

The Blazers had three players reach double figures in scoring in Thursday night’s game. Korey Whiting had a game high 23 points and nine rebounds followed by Iman Walcott with 18 points and eight boards. Roche’ finished the night with 14 points and nine rebounds. Belhaven outrebounded the Pilots 43-36 and had 22 offensive rebounds. The Blazers made 36.1 percent of their field goals and 38.5 percent of their attempts from behind the arc.

LSUS will next host SUNO on Saturday at The Dock in the final regular season home game for the Pilots. The Pilots currently sit in a three-way tie for second place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference standings and can clinch a No. 2 seed in the upcoming GCAC Tournament with a win on Senior Night.

*Story courtesy of the Belhaven Sports Information Department Pilots Clinch No. 2 Seed With Win on Senior Night

FEBRUARY 28, 2009

Shreveport, La. - The LSUS Pilots clinched the No. 2 seed in the upcoming GCAC Tournament with a convincing 92-64 win over SUNO on Senior Night at The Dock.

And in the final regular season home game for four Pilot seniors, it was the trio of seniors Chris Gatlin, Tyrone Hamilton and Clarke Jackson leading the way for LSUS. The three players combined to score 40 points with Gatlin pouring in a game-high 23 points. Jackson added 14 points, while Hamilton finished the night with 13.

LSUS shot 54% from the field in the contest and made 40% of their three-point attempts, while holding SUNO to just 31% from the field and 23% from behind the arc.

LSUS used their defense to ignite them to a big first half lead, as the Pilots took command of the game early and jumped out to a 41-26 lead at the break.

Freshman Derrick Parker reminded fans that the cupboard will not be bare with the exit of this year's senior class, as he scored 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting.

Point guard Jared Stevenson ended the night with a game-high 9 assists.

The Pilots (19-11) will host a first round GCAC Tournament game on Thursday night at The Dock.

Three Pilots Receive All-Conference Recognition

MARCH 03, 2009

SHREVEPORT, La. - LSUS men's basketball players Chris Gatlin and Mike Pilgrim were named to the All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Team, while freshman Derrick Parker picked up Freshman of the Year honors as announced today (Mar. 3) by the league's office.

Chris Gatlin, a senior from Baton Rouge, finished the regular season as the leading scorer for the Pilots with 17 points/game, while also grabbing over 5 rebounds per contest. He shot a team-high 43% from behind the three-point line, connecting on 84 three pointers for the season. Mike Pilgrim, a junior center from Cincinatti, was a dominating force in the paint for the Pilots after joining the team a mid-semester. He averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds during conference play and led the conference in field-goal percentage, making nearly 70% of his shot attempts.

Freshman Derrick Parker from Minden earned Co-Freshman of the Year honors after delivering one of the best freshman campaigns in school history. Parker averaged 10 points and a team-high 8 rebounds, while also shooting 64% from the field in his first season as a Pilot.

LSUS (19-11) will host a first-round GCAC Tournment game on Thursday night at The Dock. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. versus the winner of the Dillard/SUNO play-in game.

Pilots Cruise Into GCAC Semifinals

MARCH 05, 2009

Shreveport, La. – LSUS will play again at home on Saturday night, as the No. 2 seeded Pilots defeated the Dillard Blue Devils 85-67 to advance to the GCAC Tournament semifinals.

Despite getting injured and requiring stitches to close an open gash on his elbow, junior Mike Pilgrim dominated the game on both ends from start-to-finish to lead the Pilots. Pilgrim scored 18 points and pulled down a game and career-high 14 rebounds in a must-win game for the home team. He finished 7- of-9 from the field, including throwing down three monster dunks in the first half.

Senior Clarke Jackson also provided the Pilots with a lot of offensive fire power, tying Pilgrim for game- high honors with 18 points, while shooting a scorching 7-for-8 from the field. Jackson made the first basket of the game to put the Pilots in front early, and then connected on the final basket of the first 20 minutes with a long two pointer at the buzzer to give LSUS a seven-point half time advantage.

Another made field goal by Jackson to begin the second half stretched the Pilot lead out to nine points, but back-to-back three’s by Dillard trimmed the lead down to just three points.

Dillard eventually cut the lead down to just one point at 48-47, but LSUS responded with a quick 8-0 run and outscored the visitors 25-9 over a pivotal eight-minute stretch that put the game away.

LSUS led by as many as 21 late in the contest, before settling for an 18-point victory over the Blue Devils. Derrick Parker and Chris Gatlin also finished in double figures with 11 points for the Pilots, while David Manning was the lone Blue Devil to reach double figures with a team-high 14 points.

LSUS (20-11) won their 20th game for the sixth consecutive season, and they will host the Belhaven Blazers on Saturday night in the GCAC semifinals. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 P.M.

Pilots Bomb Blazers to Advance to GCAC Finals

MARCH 07, 2009

SHREVEPORT, La. – The LSUS Pilots will advance to the GCAC Tournament finals for the fourth consecutive year, as they defeated the Belhaven Blazers 94-75 and in very convincing fashion in the semifinal round on Saturday night at The Dock.

LSUS jumped out to a 15-3 lead just three minutes into the contest, thanks to five made three-point baskets including three by senior Tyrone Hamilton. After a Belhaven basket made the score 15-5, the Pilots used an 18-2 run to extend their lead out to 33-7 halfway through the first half.

The Pilots stretched their lead out to as many as 29 points (41-12) at the 8:00 mark after another made three-pointer by Hamilton, and would take a 51-31 lead into the break.

In the second half, Belhaven trimmed the LSUS lead to 14 points just four minutes into the final half, but they would never get any closer as the Pilots responded with a brief 7-0 to put the game further out of reach.

Hamilton paced the Pilots with a game-high 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 7-of-11 from behind the three-point line. He also added 11 assists to his stat line to finish with a double-double in the win.

Junior Mike Pilgrim connected on 5 of his 7 attempts to finish with 16 points, while also pulling down a team-high 9 rebounds.

Clarke Jackson and Jared Stevenson were the Pilots’ two other double-figure scorers, finishing with 11 and 10 points respectively.

LSUS shot over 57% from the field in the game, including going a season-high 15-for-25 (60%) from the three-point line. On the other end of the court, Belhaven struggled to put the ball in the basket. The visitors finished shooting just over 37% for the game, but they shot a miserable 5-for-23 from the arc.

Nathaniel Roche’ led a host of Blazers in double figures with 15. Iman Walcott and Krayleon Winston each finished with 13 points, while Korey Whiting and Hunter Jeffrey each ended the night with 10.

LSUS (21-11) will host Spring Hill College on Tuesday night at 7:00 P.M. in the finals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. This will not only be the fourth straight finals appearance for the Pilots, but it is also the fourth straight year that they will host the tournament championship game on their home floor.

Pilgrim Selected as GCAC Player of the Week

MARCH 09, 2009

SHREVEPORT, La. - LSUS junior and All-GCAC selection Mike Pilgrim was selected as the GCAC Player of the Week in the final weekly award of the 2008-09 season, announced today by the league's office.

Pigrim helped the Pilots reach the GCAC Tournament finals for the fourth consecutive season by collecting two double-doubles on the week. He scored 18 points and grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds in the Pilots quarterfinal win over Dillard, while scoring 16 and pulling down 10 rebounds in the GCAC semis.

The award is Pilgrim's second Player of the Week honor this season.

Pilots Win Fourth Straight GCAC Tournament, Clinch National Tournament Birth

MARCH 10, 2009

Shreveport, La. – The LSUS Pilots will make their fifth consecutive trip out to the National Tournament in Kansas City after winning their fourth straight GCAC Tournament title on Tuesday night, defeating Spring Hill College 67-58 at The Dock. Before a capacity crowd, the Pilots rallied from an early six-point deficit when they found themselves down 13-7 after a Nick Brown field goal. LSUS responded with a brief 9-0 run on back-to-back three’s by Chris Gatlin and one by Tyrone Hamilton.

The Pilots would trail only one more time in the contest (25-23) with 9 minutes remaining in the first half, as they ended the half on a 19-8 run and never looked back.

LSUS stretched their lead out to 12 points on a Hamilton three to begin the second half, but an 8-0 Badger run made things interesting again. But once again, the Pilots responded in a big way, pushing their lead back to 12 after an 11-3 run gave them a 56-45 advantage with 8:13 left in the contest.

With the Pilots clinging to a nine-point lead late, the Badgers made one last attempt to comeback. A three-pointer from the left wing by Antonio Burch cut the Pilots lead down to six, and then after two missed free throws, Spring Hill’s Nick Brown connected on a pair at the line to bring the Badgers within four.

However, Gatlin came through again for the home team, nailing his fourth and final three pointer of the game at the 1:12 mark to push the Pilots back up seven. The Pilots defense then stepped up to make three consecutive stops, as the Badgers failed to score in the final 1:30 of the game.

Gatlin led the Pilots with a game-high 20 points, while Hamilton added 13.

Derrick Parker and Mike Pilgrim provided the Pilots with a powerful one-two punch in the post, as both players recorded a double-double. Parker scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Pilgrim finished the night with 12 points and 11 boards.

Nick Brown had a huge game for Spring Hill, scoring 17 points and pulling down a game-high 18 rebounds in the losing effort.

With the win, LSUS moves to 22-11 on the season and will head to the National Tournament in Kansas City on Sunday afternoon. The tournament is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, March 18, and the brackets will be release sometime tomorrow afternoon.

LSUS to Face Mountain State in National Tournament

MARCH 12, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (official bracket (http://naia.cstv.com/photos/schools/naia/sports/m- baskbl/auto_pdf/2009DIMBB_Bracket.pdf)) LSUS and Mountain State will open up the 72nd Annual Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship, as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially released the game times and pairings for the 2009 National Tournament.

LSUS (22-11) enters the tournament unseeded and will face the No. 5 seed Mountain State University Cougars (27-4) in the opening game of the tournament at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning. In all, there are 31 games spanning seven days, with he first three days packing in eight games each day starting at 9 a.m.

Coined college basketball’s toughest tournament, the Championship is a single-elimination tournament featuring 18 automatic qualifiers from 11 Division I affiliated conferences, Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.), 1 host berth, and 13 at-large berths, which are determined using the final regular- season rating released yesterday (March 11).

LSUS was an automatic qualifier after winning the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship, while Mountain State received an at-large berth after falling to Life University (Ga.) in the semifinals of the Division 1 Independent Tournament.

The Pilots are making their fifth consecutive tournament appearance, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2005 and 2008. Mountain State is making their 12th overall appearance and finished as the National Championship runner-up in 2008 and 2003, while winning the National title in 2004.

No. 1 Rogers State (Okla.) earns the top seed and will face William Jewell (Mo.) on Wednesday, March 18 at 6:15 p.m. CST. The Hillcats are one of 17 new teams to compete compared to last year’s event. Standing 30-1 overall on the year, RSU is one of five teams from the Sooner Athletic Conference, which is the highest amount of teams from any conference. The Golden State Athletic Conference claims four teams led by No. 9 Fresno Pacific (Calif.).

The event has a host as the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) serves that function. Three teams have qualified from the HAAC: Central Methodist (Mo.), MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) and William Jewell (Mo.). The HAAC was a member of NAIA Division II before this season. Central Methodist plays on Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. against No. 4 Georgetown (Ky.) while MNU takes on No. 15 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) on Thursday (March 19) at 6:15 p.m.

Of the 32 teams, Georgetown (Ky.) is making the most appearances with its 28th and holds the most all- time wins in the Championship with 49 victories. Oklahoma Baptist is making its 22nd event and is 48-19 all-time. Defending national champion Oklahoma City did not make this year’s championship.

The first 30 games of the Championships will be video-streamed live on the Internet, while the National Championship Game on March 24 at 8:50 p.m. CST will air live nationwide on CBS College Sports Television with Jason Knapp calling the action and Sean Farnham providing color analysis.

Single session and all-tournament tickets are on sale through the Municipal Auditorium Box Office or Ticketmaster at http://www.ticketmaster.com/, by calling 816-931-3330 or in person at any Ticketmaster outlet throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area.

For more information on the Championships, click here (http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec- rel/103106aab.html).

For complete conference tournament breakdown, click here (http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec- rel/020609aai.html).

Watch LSUS versus Mountain State Live

MARCH 17, 2009

The LSUS first round match-up versus Mountain State in the NAIA National Tournament can be viewed live over the internet for a small fee by visiting the link below.

LSUS and Mountain State will tip-off in the first game of the 72nd Annual Buffalo Funds-NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship at 9:00 a.m on Wednesday morning.

Watch LSUS vs. Mountain State below: http://www.watchnaia.com//liveEvents/liveEvents.dbml?db_oem_id=5901

Live stats are also available for free by visiting the Tournament Central link below: http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/103106aab.html Mountain State Ousts LSUS in Tournament Opener

MARCH 18, 2009

Kansas City, Mo. – Fifth-seeded Mountain State (W. Va.) University posted an 88-76 come-from-behind victory over Louisiana State University in Shreveport in the first game of the 2009 Buffalo Funds NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament at Municipal Auditorium Wednesday morning.

The Cougars, who trailed 35-31 at the half, shot a blistering 54.5 percent from the field in the second half in outscoring the Pilots 57-41. Tony Brown led the way for Mountain State, scoring 19 of his 22 points in the second half. Anthony Pigram added 14 of his 17 points in the second 20 minutes. LSUS wasn’t much worse, making 45.5 percent of its field goal attempts. Tyrone Hamilton led the Pilots, scoring all 16 of his points in the second half, and giving his team a 46-38 advantage before the Cougars mounted their run.

LSUS took a 35-31 halftime lead behind the shooting of Chris Gatlin, who scored 12 of his team-high 19 points in the first half. Gatlin buried three 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes and had four treys in the game. Both teams struggled from the field in the opening half with LSUS shooting 35.3 percent and Mountain State connecting on 34.4 percent from the field. Mountain State’s Nick Aldridge led all scorers with 26 points on 10 of 13 shooting. He netted 17 his points in the first half, keeping the Cougars in the game.

Jared Stevenson and Derrick Parker also reached double figures for LSUS, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively. Andrew Lee grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds for Mountain State, while Brown dished out six assists to go along with his scoring output.

Mountain State, which improves to 28-4 on the season, advances to Friday’s 10:45 a.m. CDT contest where they will play either Oklahoma Christian or Concordia University (Calif.). LSUS finishes at 22-12.

GAME NOTES:

The first points of the 2009 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship were made on a three-pointer by LSUS’s Clarke Jackson . LSUS took a 40-31 lead early in the second-half, but Mountain State outscored the Pilots 57-36 the rest of the way . Mountain State improves to 19-9 all-time in tournament games, including 8-3 in first-round contests . LSUS falls to 2-5 all-time in tournament game.

LSUS' Stevenson Named Champion of Character, Pattison Scholarship Award Winner

MARCH 24, 2009

Men’s Basketball player Jared Stevenson was honored as one of four NAIA student-athletes named Pattison Scholarship Award winners at the 2009 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship tip-off banquet last Tuesday night.

Stevenson, a senior guard, holds a 3.6 cumulative grade point average as an Accounting major. As part of the award, Jared was given a $2,000 scholarship. Jared plans to use his scholarship money to help him pay for his Masters of Business and Administration degree. He plans to begin on his master’s degree this summer and continue with his work next year as he plays his final year of eligibility for the Pilots.

Stevenson has led the Pilots for the past two seasons as their starting point guard averaging right at 10 points a game. He is the floor general for Coach McDowell and the Pilots and has led his team to two consecutive GCAC Tournament Championships and NAIA National Tournament appearances. Jared leads by example, and absolutely no one can question his commitment or work ethic. He is the ultimate player every coach dreams of having on their team as he is always the first one to arrive at practice and the last one to leave always working to get better. “I wish they made more players and more importantly more young men like Jared,” commented Coach McDowell. “He is a very special young man who is an absolute joy to coach.”

Jared is a leader around campus as he is at LSUS every morning at 7:00 a.m. to go to work for the Facility Services Department. He is a member of the Accounting Club here at LSUS and the Beta Gamma Sigma Fraternity, which is a national honor society for college students. Not only is Jared a leader on campus, but he is also a leader at home. In addition to being a conscientious student and the starting point guard for the Pilots, Jared is a husband and a father of a one and a half year-old girl.

Jared is active in the community as well, especially at his church. He does not miss a service at the Bossier Church of God, where he attends two services every Sunday and attends the mid-week service on Wednesday. Through his church Jared has participated in several community service programs including sending supplies to needy children and volunteering his time working with youth and mentoring young people.

Without a doubt, the most impressive trait about Jared is his ability to balance school, family, basketball, and work. A typical weekday for Jared starts with awaking at 6:00 a.m. to be at school for his Facility Services job at 7:00 a.m. He remains on campus for the remainder of the day either working his job, going to class, or practicing. He is enrolled in 18 hours of upper level classes, which include numerous projects, papers, and difficult exams. His class schedule alone demands an enormous time commitment simply to complete the requirements of each class. “It is an amazing feat in and of itself that Jared finds the time to meet his responsibilities as an employee, a student, a basketball player, and most importantly a husband and father,” says Pilots Assistant Coach Ryan Edwards. “It’s one thing to try and balance all those things but Jared finds a way to be great in everything he does. He is definitely deserving of this Pattison Scholarship Award.”

LSUS has become a household name at the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City every year in March and they are also a common name with the Champions of Character program and the Pattison family. Jared is the third LSUS men’s basketball player to receive this award in the past four years. Greg Tyer (2006) and Josh Porter (2008) were also award winners and recipients of the Pattison Scholarship and the LSUS Pilots Men’s Basketball Team as a unit were awarded the Buffalo Funds Five Star Award for their dedication and implementation of the five core character values (Champions of Character) on and off the court. The team award was the inaugural award and was presented to the Pilots in 2006.

“We became involved with Champions of Character because we believed in supporting the recognition of young men who truly are making a difference in their schools, homes, and communities. After many years of meeting and honoring these individuals we continue to be humbled by the degree of servant leadership these men exhibit,” said Dr. Phil and Mary Pattison. “We are honored to be a part of this program as we believe it is an important step in positively changing the culture of our society through athletics.”

To learn more about the Champions of Character program and the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship visit http://www.naia.org/

2008-09 Men's Basketball Season Review

MARCH 25, 2009

The LSUS Men's Basketball team completed the 2008-09 season with a 22-12 overall record after falling to the Mountain State Cougars, 86-74, in the first-round of the NAIA National Tournament last week. However, the Pilots continued their string of five straight championship seasons and made their fifth consecutive NAIA National Tournament appearance after winning their fourth straight GCAC Tournament title on March 10 versus Spring Hill College and receiving an automatic bid to the National Tournament. LSUS was led in 2008-09 by GCAC All-Conference selections Chris Gatlin and Mike Pilgrim and GCAC Freshman of the Year Derrick Parker. Gatlin finished the season averaging a team-high 16.6 PPG, while shooting over 40% from the three-point line for the season and also garnering Honorable Mention All- America Honors. Pilgrim chipped in with 14 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, and he set the LSUS record for highest single-season field goal percentage at .642 (95-for-148). Parker led the team in rebounds with 259 (7.6 RPG), setting the school record for most rebounds in a season by a freshman.

Seniors Tyrone Hamilton and Clarke Jackson also contributed much to the Pilot’s program during their senior campaigns. Hamilton scored nearly 16 PPG, while dishing out over 5 assists per contest to lead the GCAC in that category. Jackson started in all 27 games played in his final season as a Pilot, scoring 8.5 PPG and shooting 38% from behind the arc.

Point guard Jared Stevenson capped off his junior year by being named the LSUS Men's Basketball Champion of Character and winning the Pattison Scholarship Award at the NAIA National Tournament Tip-off banquet. The award is given annually to just four student-athletes involved with NAIA Division 1 Men's Basketball, and as a part of the award, Jared has been given a $2,000 scholarship in which he plans to use to help pay for graduate school. He will graduate in May with a degree in accounting, and will pursue a Masters in Business and Administration next year as he completes his final season of eligibility for the Pilots.

Head Coach Chad McDowell continued to establish himself as one of the elite college coaches in the country, after leading the Pilots to 20-plus wins for the sixth consecutive season. McDowell recorded his 150th career win on Feb. 26 versus Belhaven and currently holds a 154-47 (.766) overall record. He is the winningest college basketball coach in the State of Louisiana over the past six years, and will be in the running for his sixth straight Louisiana Small College Coach of the Year award this spring.

Although LSUS loses four seniors to graduation (Gatlin, Hamilton, Jackson and Chris Wafer), the Pilots will look to reload again this offseason and make a run at another championship season in 2009-10. Returning for the 2009-10 season are eight letter-winners, including two starters (Stevenson and Parker) off of the 2008-09 squad. With a solid nucleus returning and the addition of a few impact recruits, fans at The Dock should once again be excited about the future of LSUS Basketball.

Gatlin Earns All-America Honors

MARCH 26, 2009

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is proud to announce the 2008-09 Division I Men’s Basketball All-America Teams. The selections are made by the NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Association All-America Committee and comprises a First, Second, Third and Honorable Mention Team.

LSUS Men’s Basketball player Chris Gatlin was rewarded for his spectacular senior season by being named to the honorable mention All-American team. Gatlin wore #30 for the Pilots the last two seasons and has helped lead the team to a GCAC regular season title and a regular season runners-up position this season. He was a key member for the Pilots during the last two seasons where the team won their 3rd and 4th consecutive GCAC Tournament Championships. The Pilots made two more appearances (5th consecutive year to qualify) at the NAIA National Tournament.

“I am thankful and honored for the awards I have received this season and just thankful to God for the ability and opportunity to play basketball,” commented Gatlin. “This has been a great two years here at LSUS and I have had so much fun. I wish we could have played our best basketball in Kansas City but just couldn’t put it all together that morning. We still had a great season and I am proud of my teammates and our accomplishments as a team.”

Chris is a 6’7” forward who attended Broadmoor High School in Baton Rouge, La. He transferred to LSU Shreveport after playing two years at Bossier Parish Community College. Chris played in all 71 games during his junior and senior seasons and, according to Head Coach Chad McDowell, “really became an offensive force this past season.” Chris led the Pilots in scoring averaging 16.6 points per game and was third in rebounding with 5.5 per contest. He finished the season shooting over 50% from the field and even more impressively 44% from 3-point range. Chris was also selected last month to the All- Conference team.

LSUS Men's Basketball Adds Former Fair Park Standout to 2009-10 Roster

APRIL 01, 2009

Shreveport, La. - The LSUS Men’s Basketball Team has added former Fair Park High School standout Markcus Jackson to the 2009 – 2010 basketball roster. Jackson played the last two seasons at Bossier Parish Community College, where he averaged 14 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists per game. As a freshman at BPCC, Jackson was selected as the All- Louisiana Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player. He continued his exceptional play into his sophomore season as one of the leading scorers for the Cavaliers shooting at a 48% mark and leading the team in rebounds. His nine rebounds a game gave Jackson a ranking as the 5th leading rebounder in Region 14.

“We are thrilled that Markcus has decided to come to LSUS and be a Pilot for his last two years of college,” said Coach McDowell. “He is a nice size wing with a great upside, and we look for him to continue to develop into a really good player.”

Jackson grew up in Shreveport and attended Fair Park High School under the direction of Coach Ronald Preston. Jackson was selected to the All-District team during his junior and senior seasons and was named Shreveport/Bossier All-City Player of the Year his senior year. During his time at Fair Park, Jackson helped the Indians win a state championship in 2006. In his last two seasons, he averaged 15 points and seven rebounds a game..

Pilgrim Named Louisiana's Top Newcomer, Gatlin Picks Up Third- Team Honors

APRIL 12, 2009

Shreveport, La. - After helping lead his team to their fourth straight Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship in his first season as a Pilot, LSUS junior Mike Pilgrim was named the state's top newcomer by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Pilgrim was a mid-season transfer and the junior from Cincinnati set a single season LSUS record for shooting percentage, making 64.2 percent of his shots. He was named a first-team Gulf Coast Athletic Conference selection, averaging 14.0 points and 7.5 rebounds for the Pilots, who again went to the NAIA National Tournament for the fifth straight year.

LSUS' Chris Gatlin, a senior from Baton Rouge, was named to the All-Louisiana Third Team after leading the Pilots in scoring this past season. Gatlin averaged 16.5 points/game, while shooting 43% from the three-point line. He also received All-GCAC and honorable mention All-American honors following his stellar senior season for the Pilots. In addition to his Newcomer of the Year award, Pilgrim also picked up honorable mention All-Louisiana accolades.

LSU senior guard Marcus Thornton, the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year after leading the Tigers to the SEC regular season championship and the NCAA Tournament, was a unanimous choice as Louisiana Player of the Year.

Thornton’s coach, Trent Johnson, won Coach of the Year honors in his first year at LSU.

Nicholls’ Fred Hunter added the state Freshman of the Year to his Southland Conference honor, while Malcolm Thomas of Louisiana-Monroe tied Pilgrim for the state Newcomer of the Year honor for those athletes playing their first year of basketball in the state.

The team was selected following nominations from the four-year basketball playing institutions in the state and then a panel of LSWA members were asked to select their top 15 players with the top player receiving 15 points down to one. From those point totals, three-five member teams were selected and then members picked the top choice for the special awards.