Pilots Men's Basketball Struggles to Connect In Loss to the Gold Rush

New Orleans, Louisiana— In a challenging matchup, the Pilots of LSU Shreveport faced a formidable opponent in the Gold Rush of Xavier, ultimately falling short with a final score of 89-67. With the loss the Pilots move to 18-7 on the season and 13-6 in conference play.

From the opening tip-off, the Gold Rush asserted their dominance on the court, setting the tone for the game and leaving the Pilots playing catch-up throughout.

The Gold Rush wasted no time in establishing their lead, jumping out to an early advantage and maintaining their momentum to build a commanding 43-28 lead by halftime. In the first half, the Pilots struggled to find their rhythm offensively, shooting 9-28 from the field, including three three-pointers, and converting 7-of-14 free throws. Meanwhile, the Gold Rush were firing on all cylinders, shooting an impressive 16-32 from the field, knocking down five three-pointers, and going 6-10 from the free-throw line.

Despite their best efforts, the Pilots were unable to mount a comeback in the second half as the Gold Rush continued to dominate on both ends of the court. With relentless offensive pressure and stifling defense, the Gold Rush outscored the Pilots by an additional 46 points to secure the victory.

By the end of the game, the Pilots managed to improve their shooting efficiency, finishing 21-56 from the field with five made three-pointers and 20-30 made free throws. However, it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit against a strong opponent.

Leading the way for the Pilots in scoring were Melvion Flanagan, Damon Davis, and Paul King, each contributing double-digit points to the team's effort. Flanagan led the scoring charge with 19 points, shooting 4-11 from the field with one three-pointer and an impressive 10 made free throws. Davis followed closely behind with 14 points, connecting on 5-of-12 field goals and 4-of-5 free throws. King added 10 points to the scoreboard, shooting 3-7 from the field with two three-pointers and converting 2-of-5 free throws.

Despite the loss, the Pilots will regroup and look to bounce back stronger in their next outing as they continue to strive for success on the court.

The Pilots will be back in action Saturday February 17^th as they take on North American University. Tip-off is set for 4:00pm CT from Stafford, Texas.

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