Bears pick up first conference victory tonight over SUSLA

Monday, February 2, 2026: Men's Basketball
Baton Rouge, LA

The Baton Rouge Bears began their title defense this evening in the Bonne Sante Wellness Center against the Southern University Shreveport Jags. It was a competitive matchup in the Bears' Den, but the Bears pulled away late to secure an 83-76 victory over the Jags.

The first half was a low-scoring battle between the Bears and the Jags. The Bears opened the scoring with a basket by Noah Whitehead. However, the Jags quickly tied the game at two. The Jags then went on a 9-4 run to take an 11-6 lead with 15 minutes remaining in the half. The Bears responded with some offensive contributions from Noah Whitehead and Cardez Norman, tying the game at 16 with a bucket from Norman at the 12:28 mark. Bryce Coleman completed an "and-one" play, giving the Bears a 19-16 lead.

The Bears made a mini run of their own, taking a 25-20 lead with five minutes left in the half. The Jags finished the half strong, closing the gap to four points, and the Bears led 38-34 at halftime.

In the first five minutes of the second half, the Bears maintained their four-point lead over the Jags at 47-43. The Jags hit a three-pointer on their next possession to pull within one at 47-46. The game was tied at 54 with 11 minutes remaining. The Jags then went on a 13-7 run, taking a 67-61 lead with seven minutes left.

The Bears cut the Jags' lead to one with a bucket from Tyrael-Cage Heke, making it 72-71 with four minutes remaining. The Bears shifted back into a zone defense, disrupting the Jags' offensive rhythm and allowing them to make a comeback. Noah Whitehead scored and was fouled; although he missed the free throw, he gave the Bears a 73-72 lead. Tyrael-Cage Heke added another bucket, extending the Bears' lead to 75-72. The SUSLA bench received a technical foul after Tyrael-Cage Heke was fouled on a drive to the basket. Heke made both technical foul free throws and converted one of two additional free throws to increase the Bears' lead to 78-72. The Bears maintained their advantage in the final minute, ultimately winning the hard-fought game 83-76.

The Bears were led by freshman guard Noah Whitehead, who scored 18 points and recorded 8 rebounds and 9 assists. Three Bears scored in double figures: Whitehead, Tyrael-Cage Heke with 15 points and 6 rebounds, and Cardez Norman with 14 points and 2 rebounds. The Jags were led in scoring by Gilchrist, who had a game-high 19 points, and they had four players score in double figures: Gilchrist, Foster, Vengeto, and Kirk.

With this victory, the Bears improved their record to 10-12, 1-0 for the season, while the Jags fell to 13-9, 0-1. Southern Shreveport still leads the all-time series with 24 wins to 23 losses against Baton Rouge. Additionally, the Bears extended their conference win streak to nine games, dating back to the 2023-2024 season.

Bears Highlights
- Noah Whitehead: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists
- Tyrael-Cage Heke: 15 points, 6 rebounds
- Cardez Norman: 14 points, 2 rebounds

Up Next:
The Bears will continue LCCAC play this Wednesday, February 4, when they travel to New Orleans to take on the Delgado Community College Dolphins. Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM in the Williamson Center.

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