HOUSTON, Texas – The University of St. Thomas men's basketball team fell to No. 20 Louisiana State University-Shreveport, 80-64, Friday at the Jerabeck Activity & Athletic Center.

The Celts fell to 18-9, 9-6 in the Red River Athletic Conference. The Pilots bumped their record to 19-9, 12-4.

Sam Flores (SR/El Paso, Texas) and Nicholas Perez (JR/Katy, Texas) each buried triples to give St. Thomas a 15-14 lead at the 11:49 mark of the first half. The Pilots outscored the Celts, 14-4, over the next 4:34 to take a 28-19 lead. But UST went on a run of its own, pulling within 34-29 on a triple by Cameron Gims (FR/Cypress, Texas). Orowo Eleyae (SR/Houston, Texas) scored to trim the deficit to three before Shreveport took a 36-32 lead into the break.

Paul Taulton (JR/Pearland, Texas), whose jump hook with 7:02 left in the opening half cut a nine-point Pilots lead to seven, scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds before intermission. He was 5 of 8 from the field.

The Pilots opened a 10-point lead on Tim Coleman's basket at the 16:17 mark in the second half. Eleyae scored on a second chance opportunity to cut it to 46-40 1:02 later. UST's Keaton Shaw (JR/Mt. Belvieu, Texas) hit a field goal with 7:00 to play to make it a four-point game. Kennard Robinson (JR/Houston, Texas) scored to bring the Celts within 57-54.

Shreveport re-extended its lead to 66-54 on Jeff Garret's basket at the 4:09 mark. Christian Alaekwe (SO/Fresno, Texas) buried a triple from the corner as UST got within nine. But the Pilots climbed ahead 73-59 on a pair of Rakim Lubin free throws with 2:40 to go, and the Celts couldn't recover.

UST shot 38 percent from the floor. LSU-Shreveport shot 45 percent.

Taulton finished with 12 points and eight boards. Eleyae had 12 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Robinson had nine points and 10 assists. Coleman scored 26 points, and Garrett had 22 points and 14 rebounds.

The Celts will host No. 1 LSU-Alexandria at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. All high school players and coaches will be admitted free.