SHREVEPORT, La. - Kendall Demouchet's career-high sparked the Centenary men's basketball team to its third straight Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference win with an 82-72 victory over Austin College on Sunday afternoon. The win moves the Gents to 8-8 overall and 4-2 in the conference.
The double-digit win marks the fifth of the season and pulls Centenary to within half a game of Texas Lutheran for the top spot in the league.
Demouchet logged 33 points to surpass his previous best of 31 set this season in the season opener. The Lafayette, La., native, who has scored in double figures 10 times this season, recorded his fourth game in the campaign with 20-plus points.
James Sapp added his third double-double of the season for the Maroon and White as the reining SCAC Player of the Week registered 10 points and pulled down a team-best 12 rebounds. Travion Kirkendoll rounded out the group with 11 points for his 10th double figure contest.
Centenary used a 14-5 run to close out a back and forth, opening 20 minutes to take a 9-point lead in at the intermission. The Gents continued to add to its margin and grabbed a 59-47 lead with 10:40 to play in the outing. The squad never looked back in the affair holding the double-digit advantage, including grabbing its largest lead at 17 points with just over four minutes left on a jumper by Kirkendoll.
Centenary finished the night shooting 46.2 percent from the field marking the fifth straight of 40 percent or better. The Gents connected on 5 of 11 from behind the arc to set a season-best at 45.5 percent to surpass the previous high of 42.9 against Hendrix College earlier this season.
The Maroon and White grabbed an advantage on the glass with 44 boards compared to 36 for the 'Roos. The effort marks the fourth time this season to Gents have out-rebounded their opponent.
Austin Freet paced Austin College with 19 points and pulled down a team-best nine rebounds as Alan Sullivan chimed in 17 points in the loss.
Centenary returns to action on Jan. 23 as they travel to Trinity University. Tip is slated for 8 p.m.
