Bears drop conference heartbreaker to SUSLA

Wednesday, February 18, 2026: Men's Basketball 

Baton Rouge, LA  

The Baton Rouge Bears faced off against the Southern University Shreveport Jags this evening in the Bears Den for a crucial LCCAC matchup. Unfortunately, the Bears lost a heartbreaker to the Jags in the final moments of the game, finishing 67-65. 

In the first half, both teams struggled with offense, leading to a tightly contested battle. With 15 minutes remaining in the half, the score was tied at 6. As the game progressed, the Bears managed a mini 15-11 run, pulling ahead by four points at 21-17 with nine minutes left. They extended their lead to eight points with 7 minutes to go, making it 31-23. However, the Jags fought back, going on an 11-7 run to close the gap to four points at halftime, with the score at 38-34. 

The Bears started the second half strong, with key baskets from Noah Whitehead that helped them increase their lead to eight points at 46-38. They maintained solid offensive play while ramping up their defensive pressure, building their lead to 13 points at 57-44 with 8 minutes remaining. The Jags refused to give in, gradually chipping away at the Bears' lead until they tied the game at 63 with just 2 minutes left.  

With 19.8 seconds remaining, the Jags took the lead by three points with a shot from the top of the key. Dylan Dominique made two free throws to bring the Bears within one point at 65-66 with 7.3 seconds left. The Jags then hit one of two free throws to extend their lead to two. The Bears had one last chance to win, but Amir Abdul-Rauf's three-pointer rimmed out, securing a 67-65 comeback victory for the Jags. 

With this loss, the Bears fell to 12-15 overall and 2-3 in conference play, while the Jags improved to 16-9 and 3-1 on the season. Southern University Shreveport now leads the all-time series with 26 wins to 23 losses against Baton Rouge. 

Bears Highlights: 

Noah Whitehead led the Bears with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. 

Amir Abdul-Rauf added 14 points. 

Tyrael- Cage Heke and Dylan Dominique each contributed 7 points. 

Next Up: 

The Bears will close out the regular season on the road against New Orleans on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. in the Michael Williamson Center.  

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