LSU Eunice flexes muscle, downs Hinds in NJCAA Region 23 Tournament, 83-67

EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice Men’s Basketball made its presence known with an emphatic 83-67 win over Hinds CC in the second round of the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament on Monday inside the HPRE Center. The victory was the Bengals’ (18-6, 9-0 LCCAC) first postseason win in the program’s four-year history.

The win sets up a Quarterfinal matchup with MACCC Tournament Champions and four-seed East Mississippi on the road. The action from Scooba on Tuesday is set for a 6 p.m. tip-off.

The Bengals came out firing on all cylinders, racing out to a 14-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game. LSUE’s lead would stay within double digits for most of the game, with Hinds only creeping within seven points midway through the first half. The Bengals go into the locker rooms with another flurry of points as Alonzo Linton’s three pointer in the waning seconds gave LSUE a 46-29 advantage.

LSUE would use another big spurt in the second half to push ahead for good. The Bengals rattled off a 13-0 run highlighted by a powerful two-fisted dunk from Magok Manyang. The flurry would give LSUE its largest lead of the game, 22 points, 70-48.

Manyang enjoyed a breakout performance, netting a career-high 22 points while splashing in five three-point baskets.

Isaiah Payne added another 22 point performance, while Alonzo Linton pumped in 18 points. Jordan Hayes was the fourth Bengal in double figures with 10.

The LSUE defense locked down Hinds leading scorer Jalen Myers for the duration of the night. The 31st leading scorer in the nation was held scoreless the first 36 minutes of the game, finishing with a season-low four points.