Posted: Mar 11, 2019
LONGVIEW, Texas – The third time is a charm.
The University of St. Thomas men's basketball team beat 15th-ranked Louisiana State University-Shreveport, 67-55, in the Red River Athletic Conference Championship at LeTourneau University Saturday.
It was the third meeting between the two schools this season and the third trip for the Celts to the RRAC title game in program history. Now they are headed to the NAIA Division I national tournament for the third time in school history in their final year of NAIA.
St. Thomas will transition to NCAA Division III next year.
It is the Celts' second RRAC Tournament championship – the first coming in 2013. UST qualified for the national tournament in 2013 and 2014.
UST (23-10) trailed by nine early in the second half, but went on an 11-0 run to take a 38-36 lead on a triple by Nathan Thormaehlen (JR/Katy, Texas) at the 12:45 mark. The Celts increased their lead to seven on a three-pointer by Keaton Shaw (JR/Mt. Belvieu, Texas) with 5:38 remaining, but LSU-Shreveport (22-10) put together a 7-0 run to tie the game for the fifth time on a 3-pointer by Tim Coleman with 3:37 to play.
St. Thomas scored the next eight points, surging to a 60-52 lead on a triple by Cameron Gims (FR/Cypress, Texas). Josh Stamps scored the next basket for the Pilots, but the Celts sank 7 of 8 free throws down the stretch to win going away.
Kennard Robinson (JR/Houston, Texas) scored 26 points and had five rebounds, five assists and two steals to earn the tournament Most Valuable Player honor. He was 8 of 11 from the floor, including 5 of 6 from three-point range. Gims finished with 12 points and four rebounds, and Thormaehlen had 10 points, five boards and three assists. Gims and Thormaehlen were named to the all-tournament team.
Stamps and Coleman each scored 14 for the Pilots, who were held to 31 percent shooting.
The Celts built a six-point lead late in the first half when Orowo Eleyae (SR/Houston, Texas) sank two free throws. But the Pilots used a 7-0 run the rest of the half to take a 28-27 lead at the intermission.
Eleyae scored all eight of his points in the first half.
St. Thomas shot 38.5 percent. The Celts were 18 of 23 at the free throw line. LSU-Shreveport went 9 of 10. UST's bench outscored the Pilots, 18-2.
The Celts will compete in the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., March 20-26. The bracket will be revealed on Wednesday.
