SHREVEPORT, La. - The Gents cut a 21-point second half deficit to two, but the Tigers pushed the lead back to double-digits as Centenary (0-2) fell to #25 East Texas Baptist (2-0) 72-61 Tuesday night, November 17, in the home opener for the Maroon and Gold.

Down 44-24, Centenary put on a show with 24-6 run over a six-minute span in the second half. Sophomore Travion Kirkendoll grabbed a steal and fed junior James Sapp, who found freshman Treylan Matthews for a triple. Kirkendoll made a jumpshot and a pair from the line after two miscues by East Texas Baptist to cut the deficit to 13 in only a minute's time.

Junior Mitchell quickly pushed the lead to 48-31 on a pair of layups for the visitors, but Sapp grabbed a defensive board and outletted to Matthews running down the court for the fastbreak layup to jumpstart 12 unanswered points for the Maroon and White. Kirkendoll, who scored a game-high 20 points, scored eight points on the run, including a pair of fastbreak layups. Centenary trailed 48-45 with 20 left in the game.

East Texas Baptist made a pair of free throws, but a three the old-fashioned way by Sapp cut the deficit to 50-48 with 9:36 left. After both teams traded threes, a Dylan Augustine hit a pair of threes to jumpstart a Tigers 13-0 run. Augustine finished the game 5-for-8 from the field, including 4-for-6 from downtown.

Junior Kendall Demouchet came off the bench for 17 points for the Gents, shooting 7-for-13 from the field. However, Centenary could not overcome a 21.9 percent shooting first half (7-for-32), finishing the game by hitting 33.3 percent (23-69) shooting from the field.

Both defenses clamped down early with both teams battling to a 9-9 tie nine minutes into the contest. Both teams went into a minute and half scoreless draught before the Tigers' Isaiah Thomas split from the line.

Jamil Samuel then buried a three. Matthews hit a jumpshot to cut the deficit to two, but Thomas took the inbounds and ran down the court for the fastbreak layup. Thomas finished the game with nine points despite only 13 minutes played.

Bret Atkins made a triple and Thomas hit a pair of free throws to push the visitors' lead to 20-11 with 6:57 left in the first half. Atkins led East Texas Baptist with 16 points.

The Gents return to action tomorrow, November 18, in an exhibition game at Little Rock. Game time is set for 5:15 p.m.