Box Score
Shreveport, LA-In what turned out to be a high paced and physical contest, the Belhaven men's basketball team came up short against LSU-Shreveport in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament Championship 101-94 Tuesday night. The Blazers had seven players with 10 points or more, but could not overcome a hot shooting Pilot team that hit 55.4 percent of their field goals in the game.

Belhaven (24-9) had the upper hand early opening up a 13-8 lead sixteen minutes into the game. Larell Bailey drilled a three pointer to begin the game and Rob Wallace hit a two pointer that put Belhaven up by five points. Leading 17-12, Belhaven saw LSU-Shreveport reel off a 14-3 run that all of a sudden gave the Pilots a 26-20 advantage half way through the opening period.

The Blazers then responded with an 8-0 run to retake the lead at 28-26 with 7:28 remaining on the first half clock. Nathaniel Roche' got it going with layup and A.J. Taylor dialed up one of his two three pointers on the night to cap the run. LSUS quickly went back ahead, but Belhaven made a strong push in the final minutes of the first half to take a 53-48 lead at the break. Taylor hit a big three point shot right before the buzzer giving the Blazers a momentum boost going into the locker room at halftime.

Roche' tossed in a layup to open the second half giving Belhaven their biggest lead of the night at 55-48. However, the Pilots began to turn the tide and over the next seven minutes of the contest outgunned the Blazers 21-8 to pull back ahead 69-63. LSU-Shreveport (27-5) would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the game. Belhaven got to within two points at 69-67 with 11:46 to play following a field goal by Wallace and then were with four points with 55 seconds showing on the second half clock. A three pointer by Krayleon Winston made it a 93-89 game, but LSUS bagged some key free throws, including seven from Jared Stevenson, to put the game away and secure the Pilot victory.

The Blazers were led by A.J. Taylor with 23 points thanks to a 9 of 14 shooting night from the field. Bailey finished the game with 15 points followed by Winston with 12, Tensey Cowan with 11, Roche' with 11, and Woodie Woward and Wallace each chipped in with 10 points apiece. Roche' had a team high nine rebounds just missing his 11th double double of the season. Not only did Taylor shoot the basketball well, he setup his teammates with good looks at the basket recording seven assists.

As a team, Belhaven connected on 44.6 percent of their field goals, 40.9 percent of their three pointers, and 67.9 percent of their free throws. LSUS had a slight rebounding edge at 43-41 and the Blazers turned it over eight times compared to 11 miscues by the Pilots.

LSU-Shreveport had solid games from Brance Davenport and Derrick Parkers who each topped 20 points in the game. Davenport led the Pilots with 29 points going 12 of 14 from the field while Parker notched a double double with 21 points and a game high 12 rebounds. Stevenson rounded out LSU-Shreveport's double digit scorers with 17 points and a team high seven assists. The Pilots drilled 55.4 percent of their field goals, 56.5 percent of their three pointers, and 66.7 percent of their free throws in the game.

The NAIA announced late Tuesday night that Belhaven made the field of 32 teams at the 73rd annual Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Tournament starting next week in Kansas City, MO. Belhaven will find out their seed and who they are playing in the first round Wednesday afternoon.

College Fanz Sports Network, the world's largest online college sports community launched by ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen, will offer live video streaming broadcasts of the tournament selections starting Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. CST. This broadcast will be available, live, free and on-demand, at http://www.CollegeFanz.com. There will be a Selection Show viewing party on Wednesday in the Theater Room in the Student Center on the Belhaven campus.