SHREVEPORT, LA---The Mustang Men's Basketball program took on the 2nd ranked LSU-Shreveport Pilots on Tuesday night in another Red River Athletic Conference Matchup. The Mustangs were 0-2 coming into the contest and the Pilots were 10-0 on the season. The Pilots high powered offense was too much for the Mustangs and they defeated USW 96-65. 

"We did some good things but we also shot ourselves in the foot with silly mistakes tonight.  Our effort and attention to detail is getting better but we are still struggling to take care of the ball and box out.  They scored 26 points off of our turnovers and had 17 second chance points.  This is an area we have to get better at quickly if we want to win a game this year.  I thought we did a better job defensively at times and it was good to see the guys taking charges and getting on the ground for loose balls.  We are in a scoring slump right now, but I know the guys will shoot out of it soon.  We are just now getting started with consistent play and practice so we expect it to eventually turn around for us" said Head Coach Cory Hitchcock. 

The Mustangs were led by senior Tyler Watkins in scoring with 17 points off the bench. The Dallas native was 7-12 from the floor including 3-4 from the FT line. Sophomore forward Thurbil Bile was the other Mustang in double-figures. Bile had 13 points in 23 minutes of play. "They were being aggressive and looking to score.  I have been telling the both of them they need to step up and look to score.  It was good to see them get in a groove and score the ball.  This can't be a one-time thing for them though, we need them to continue to be aggressive and attack the hoop" said Coach Hitchcock. 

LSU-S has currently not lost a game in over a calendar game and are owners of a 25-game winning streak, the longest in the nation. "They are very athletic and play team basketball.  We struggled with their length and speed at times and it caused us to turn the ball over and get out-rebounded.  They have eleven games under their belt and we have three, so we haven't had a chance to shake off the rust like they have.  It will take some time to get us on track and playing the way we should be.  We usually get the luxury of a preseason but this year we don't have that luxury so we need to mature quickly.  We won't use our lack of preseason as an excuse, we need to show up and get going." said Hitchcock on the 2nd ranked Pilots. 

The Mustangs will travel to Hawkins, TX on Thursday to take on Jarvis Christian. The Bulldogs are 0-2 currently on the season. Both teams are looking for their first victory of the season. "
Jarvis is a very quick and athletic team who can shoot the ball.  They are well coached and have improved a ton from last year.  Our game plan is to come in and play great defense and try to value each possession offensively.  We haven't been great at either, so it's important we focus on those two areas to give us a chance in the game." said Head Coach Cory Hitchcock on the upcoming matchup.