A last-second jumper by Anthony Gaines, Jr. propelled Louisiana College to a 68-66 win over the LeTourneau University men's basketball team on Saturday in Pineville. It is the seventh defeat by the YellowJackets by three points or less on the season.
 
LeTourneau (8-12, 5-6 ASC) tied the game when senior Zakarius Wells made a pair of free throws with :26 to play. The two teams exchanged timeouts before the game-winning jumper by Gaines. Despite the loss, four YellowJackets were in double figures, including junior Jeff Martin (15 points), Wells (14 points), sophomore Alec Colhoff (13 points) and senior Giovanny Thompson (10 points). In the defeat, LeTourneau outrebounded LC by four, 39-35 and posted a 17-0 advantage in second-chance points. Thompson finished the contest with 14 rebounds to record his seventh double double of the season.
 
Louisiana College (9-9, 6-4 ASC) was led by Steve Evans, who had a game-high 19 points to lead three Wildcats in double figures. Gaines, Jr. and Raheem Regis added 18 and 11 points, respectively.
 
"It's tough to lose at the buzzer and unfortunately, we have had it happen too many times this year," said LeTourneau head coach Dan Miller.
 
Late in the second half, LeTourneau held a lead as large as nine, 59-50, when freshman C.J. Bird made a lay-up with 8:09 to play. A resilient Wildcats' squad came back with an 11-2 run to tie the game at 61 and for the first time since the 11:28 mark of the second half. The game would be tied on three more occasions including when Wells made a pair of free throws.
 
"We have to regroup and refocus and defend our home court now with the goal of getting to the conference tournament," said Miller. "We will stay together and work hard to make it happen. I am proud of our guys for the fight they have displayed and now we have to finish these games at home."
 
Next, the two teams will face one another again, but this time in Longview on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Solheim Arena.