HAMMOND, La. – The University of the Incarnate Word football team battled Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU) down to the wire on Saturday night at Strawberry Stadium. Lindsey Scott Jr. found Marquez Perez to tie the game with 21 seconds left, but the Lions completed a 59-yard touchdown pass as the clock expired to take the game, 41-35.
 
Scott finished the night with 333 passing yards and two touchdowns in the air while chipping in one TD on the ground. Kelechi Anyalebechi notched 11 total tackles, while Cameron Preston and Chris Whittaker finished with 1.5 sacks apiece.
 
The Lions struck first with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Cephus Johnson III to Ivan Drobocky seven minutes into the game.
 
With under a minute left in the first, Scott rushed down the middle for six yards to tie the game up, 7-7, heading into the second quarter.
 
The Cardinals and Lions battled for the lead the rest of the half. SLU rushed into the endzone before Marcus Cooper broke free off a 60-yard pass from Scott, putting the Cardinals at SLU's 15-yard line. Cooper found a seam down the middle, tying the game, again, at 14-14.
 
SLU reclaimed the lead, but Scott found a wide-open CJ Hardy to bring the halftime score to 21-21.
 
The Lions nailed an early 29-yard field goal to take a four-point advantage, but UIW answered as Darion Chafin walked into the endzone, lifting the Cardinals to a 28-24 lead.
 
In the fourth, UIW held SLU to a field goal from the 23-yard line as the Lions crept within one (28-27).
 
With six minutes to go, the Lions put up eight points off a touchdown and two-point play to take a 35-28 advantage.
 
The Cardinals had just over six minutes to answer, coming down to the wire with the final drive starting at 3:25. Scott found Perez with 21 seconds on the clock to tie the game, but SLU completed a 59-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds to win the game, 41-35.
 
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