Boxscore

BOSSIER CITY, La. ? In a game that was tightly contested for the most part ? 10 ties and nine lead changes -- Louisiana Tech went cold over the final 12 minutes, allowing Centenary to go on a 15-2 run to close the game and leave the CenturyTel Center with a 62-50 victory on Thursday night.

?We?re going to continue to work hard and keep our heads up,? Tech head coach Kerry Rupp said. ?We?re battling hard and moving forward. Defensively, I?m seeing good energy and effort. We need to take care of the ball. Offensively, we need to find things to take advantage of and keep working hard.?

Tech (1-7) was only able to manage one field goal over the final 13-plus minutes of the game, and Centenary (7-4) took advantage of numerous missed Bulldog scoring opportunities.

Keith Smith and J.C. Clark shared game honors with 15 points apiece, and Smith equaled Drew Washington?s team high with five rebounds.

Three players hit double figures for the Gents as Tyrone Hamilton ad Lance Hill poured in 14 points apiece and Nick Stallings added 13. Anthony Gatlin pulled down a game-high seven rebounds.

The Bulldogs held a five-point lead early in the first half, but that quickly turned into a 7-point deficit as the Bulldogs went more than eight minutes without a field goal. A steal in the closing seconds and a Clark jumper tied the game at 30 as the halftime horn sounded.

Tech held a 48-47 lead with 12:04 to play, but only managed one more field goal the rest of the way. Centenary once again took advantage of the miscues and went on a 15-2 run over the final 12 minutes to pull away and take the victory.

The Bulldogs return to action next week as they travel to Biloxi, Miss., for tournament action in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic. The first game features the Bulldogs against Alcorn State with tip-off set for 6 p.m.