Louisiana College edged by Ozarks in ASC Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament Finals

Wildcats Battle to End but Fall in ASC Title Game

CLARKSVILLE, Ark. – The Louisiana College men’s basketball team got a career high-tying 36 points from Kae’ron Baker in his final game in orange and blue, but a game-tying lay-up at the buzzer fell off the side and the Wildcats fell in the 2021 ASC Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament Finals to the Ozarks Eagles 74-72 Monday night at Mabee Gymnasium.

Galen Smith, Jr. and Kae’ron Baker scored the game’s first two buckets to give the Wildcats a 4-0 lead out of the gate. But then Ozarks took over the lead as the Eagles warmed up from deep, hitting three three-pointers to take a 9-6 lead. Ozarks would expand the lead out to 17-10 with less than 13:30 remining in the opening period before LC answered with a 7-2 run to get back to within two points as a three-pointer by Baker cut the deficit to 19-17 with 8:30 left before halftime. Ozarks would push the lead out to eight points, the largest by either team in the first half, twice in the closing minutes of the period, but a lay-up by Smith and a three by KJ Bilbo cut that deficit down to three with a minute left to the break. The Eagles scored the final bucket to take a 31-26 lead to the half.

Just like in the first half, Galen Smith, Jr. opened the scoring in the second half, but that was again followed by an Eagles spurt as Ozarks got a three-pointer, and then a bucket-and-foul to push the lead to nine, 37-28, which would be the largest of the game for either team. LC answered with a 12-5 run as a jumper by Baker made the score 42-40 with 14:15 left in the game. Ozarks again opened the advantage out to six points before an 8-2 LC run tied the game at 50-50 as Baker hit a three with 8:40 left. A three-pointer more than a minute later gave Ozarks the lead for good.

Trailing by eight, 70-62, with 40 seconds left, the Wildcats would make a run that nearly forced overtime. Jamael Owusu got things started when he hit a three to make it a five-point game. Ozarks scored on the other end to push it back to seven, but Owusu got inside and scored to make it five again. After Ozarks split a pair at the stripe, Kae’ron Baker was fouled in the back court and calmly sank both of his free throws to cut it to four points with 10.1 seconds left.

The Eagles split another pair of free throws before Baker beat everyone down the court for a lay-up that made the score 74-71 with eight seconds left. Ozarks then missed both free throws following a foul and Baker ran up court and was fouled near the midcourt stripe just before he launched a heave that bounced around and fell in the basket. The referees ruled the shot came after the foul and instead of a potential four-point play for the lead with one second left, put Baker on the line for 2 shots while down three. As planned, Baker made the first and intentionally missed the second, getting the needed bounce that allowed Trey Ames to grab the rebound and chuck the ball towards the rim for the tie. But the shot bounced off the glass and off to the side of the rim as the horn sounded.

Kae’ron Baker, in the final game of his storied career at LC, tied his career high with 36 points as he made 13 of 24 shots in the contest, including four of ten from three. That three-point number capped a historic career for Baker as he claimed the ASC record for career three-point percentage, having hit 43.8% from beyond the arc (183/418) in his three seasons at LC. In 68 career games he scored 1,272 points for an 18.7 point per game average while in the orange and blue.

Galen Smith, Jr. continued his run of stellar play to close out the season, amassing another double-double with 14 points and ten rebounds to go with a blocked shot. KJ Bilbo, who was coming off his own 30-plus point performance Sunday against Mary Hardin-Baylor, finished the contest with ten points, seven rebounds, and two assists.

Following the game, both Baker and Bilbo were named to the All-Tournament team for their efforts.

The Wildcats finish their final season in the American Southwest Conference with an 11-4 record overall and 9-4 in conference play. This appearance was their second in the ASC Tournament Championship Game, having dropped the 2016 Finals to Hardin-Simmons. In 2021-22, the Wildcats will join the NAIA and play in the Red River Athletic Conference.