HOUSTON, Texas – The University of St. Thomas men's basketball team fell to No. 1 Louisiana State University-Alexandria, 90-81, Saturday night at the Jerabeck Activity & Athletic Center.

St. Thomas (18-10, 9-7 Red River Athletic Conference) led for 7:20, but the Generals (26-2, 16-1) pulled away with a late surge.

Paris Marquez (SR/Atascocita, Texas) scored 23 points, and had five assists. He was 9 of 16 from the floor. Orowo Eleyae (SR/Houston, Texas) had 21 points and six rebounds. He scored 14 points in the second half. LSU-Alexandria's William Claiborne had 28 points and 15 rebounds on 9 of 10 shooting. He was 10-for-11 from the free throw line.

The Generals outrebounded the Celts, 45-28.

Eleyae scored on a slam in transition to give UST a two-point lead five minutes into the second half. The Generals built their lead back to six before Thormaehlen strong-armed a contested slam at the rim, and was fouled to convert a three-point play. Thormaehlen buried a triple from the wing at the 11:50 mark to tie the game at 61.

LSU-Alexandria crept back up, 70-61, on a three-point play by Malek Harris. Thormaehlen canned another triple to cut the gap to 76-69. But JaMichael Brown buried a three-pointer with 3:22 to go to push the Generals out to a 12-point lead, and UST could not recover.

The Celts shot 54.5 percent in the first half and 31 percent in the second. They had 18 field goals in the first half and nine in the second. The Generals had 15 field goals in the first half and 14 in the second.

The Celts fell behind 12-2 3:52 into the game when Devin Jackson buried a three for the Generals. Kennard Robinson (JR/Houston, Texas) beat the shot clock with a layup, and Marquez canned two triples as the Celts cut it to 19-17 with 11:46 to go in the half. Marquez scored in transition on a dish from Sam Flores (SR/El Paso, Texas) at the 8:43 mark to give the Celts a 23-22 lead.

The Generals crept back on top by five, but Thormaehlen and Marquez hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put UST ahead, 34-33. The lead changed hands eight times the rest of the half, with Quashi "Ayo" Philips cashing in on a lob from Robinson in the final seconds of the half as the Celts took a 45-44 lead into the break.

Marquez was 7 of 10 from the floor in the first half, including 4 of 5 from long range.

UST will host Paul Quinn College at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the JAAC in the final regular season home weekend.