HAMMOND, LOUISIANA – The University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team defeated Southland Conference rival Southeastern Louisiana University, 75-71 on the road on Saturday at University Center.

The Cardinals (8-7, 3-1) led for over 36 minutes of the game, but that did not prevent it from coming down to the final moments.  UIW led by 11 points after a conventional three-point play by Mitchell Badillo (Houston/Cy Falls HS) with 4:01 remaining in the game. 

The Lions (2-15, 0-4) scored the next nine points of the game as the Cardinals committed three turnovers and missed the front end of a 1-and-1.  Zay Jackson made it a two-point game with 1:19 remaining.  The teams traded missed shots and the Cardinals made 1-of-2 from the foul line to make it 74-71 with 12 seconds to play.

Last year, Joshua Filmore knocked down a game-tying three-pointer for the Lions at the end of regulation and SLU eventually won the game in double overtime.  This year, Filmore attempted another three-pointer that could have tied the game, but he missed and Kyle Hittle (New Braunfels/New Braunfels HS) grabbed the rebound and made a free throw to secure the win, the team's third straight and fourth in the last five games.

The Cardinals shot 53.7 percent from the field, made 9-of-16 from three-point range and were 8-for-13 at the foul line.  Jontrell Walker (Aurora, IL/West Aurora HS) led the team with 19 points after going 7-for-10 from the field.  Badillo had a fantastic game with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists while making 6-of-8 from the field.  Hittle and Derail Green (Houston/Klein Forest HS) each had 12 points and Hittle led the team with nine rebounds.  They had six more rebounds than the Lions and committed two more turnovers.

The Lions shot 54.9 percent from the field, made 7-of-16 from three-point range and were 8-of-15 at the foul line.  Jackson finished with 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds while going 9-of-13 from the field.  Jordan Capps had 13 points and six rebounds off the bench.  JaMichael Hawkins and Marlain Veal each scored in double figures.

The Cardinals are back in action next Saturday at home against Abilene Christian at 4:30 p.m.
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