Bulldogs advance to Region semifinals with 79-64 win over LSUE

EUNICE, La. --- The Holmes Community College Bulldogs jumped out early here Tuesday on the Louisiana State University-Eunice Bengals and never trailed in the contest winning 79-64 to advance to the NJCAA Region XXIII Tournament at Mississippi College on Thursday.

Holmes will face Pearl River Community College at 5 p.m. in the Golden Dome at Mississippi College. You can watch the game live at holmesccmedia.com/white-channel.

Brandon Weatherspoon got the first bucket of the game in the first minute of play. The Bulldogs increased the lead to 10-3 on a three from Weatherspoon with 16:45 left in the first half. The lead increased to eight when Weatherspoon hit a three with 14:30 left in the half. The lead stayed at 26-20 when Kaleb Higgins hit a two-point bucket with 9:45 left in the half.

A Tyler Talley three-pointer increased the lead to 11 with 8:22 left at 31-20. The lead was still 10 points with 5:20 to play when Weatherspoon scored in the lane to make it 35-25. LSUE made a run at the end of the half to cut the score to 38-34.

A Darrius Clark dunk with 17:50 left in the game stretched the lead to 10 points at 47-37. A Talley three with 14:30 stretched the lead to 19 points at 58-39. LSUE got to within eight at 62-54 with 7:23 left to play. A Weatherspoon dunk with 7:20 to play took the lead back to 10 and it increased to 17 at 73-56 with 3:45 left. A Weatherspoon bucket with 1:45 took the lead back to 19 at 77-58. LSUE scored some late buckets to pull the game closer in the final minutes.

Weatherspoon led the Bulldogs with 28 points while Higgins had 18 and Talley had 12. Weatherspoon finished with a double-double with his 11 rebounds (one offensive and 10 defensive).

The Bulldogs shot 53 percent from the floor (30-of-56), 40 percent from the three-point line (8-of-20) and 84.6 percent from the free throw line (11-of-13). LSUE shot 39.1 percent from the floor, 24.1 percent from the three-point line and 58.3 percent from the free throw line.