LUFKIN — The Lamar State College Port Arthur Seahawks saved their gutsiest performance of the year for Thursday. It was the perfect time, considering they were playing in the Region XIV Tournament at Angelina College.

The Seahawks shrugged off three players playing with four fouls for the majority of the second half and defeated Lee College 95-88.

Jordon Harris picked up his fourth foul with 14:33 left in the game and was immediately forced to the bench. Post center Christian Albright played a big portion of the second half with four fouls and eventually fouled out.

This meant the Seahawks (23-9) looked to Nederland graduate Colton Weisbrod to do the scoring against Lee (19-13). Weisbrod scored 36 points on 13-of-26 shooting and pulled down 12 rebounds. It’s his fourth 30-point game this season and most he has scored against a Region XIV opponent.
“This was big time,” Weisbrod said of the win. “All week we talked about how big a game this was going to be and talked about how physical it was going to be.”

The Rebels were hot in the first half shooting 50 percent from the field and leading for most of the game’s first 20 minutes.

LSCPA finally took the lead for good with 4:24 left in the first half, when Albright drained a three-pointer to give the Seahawks a 37-35 advantage.

The Seahawks led 45-42 at the break and seemed to be pulling away early in the second when Harris heated up. His three-pointer with 17:57 left in the game put LSCPA up 52-46.

Weisbrod then scored five straight and the lead was up to 57-46. Harris, who finished with 19 points, then was called for his fourth foul.

The Seahawks always had an answer when the Rebels got close the rest of the way. Freddie Williams Jr. scored two of the biggest points of the game off an assist from Mambi Diawara with 2:33 left to put the Seahawks ahead 87-77. Williams finished with 16 points and Diawara added 17.

“We withstood their punches and got the win,” Weisbrod said. “Playing with that foul trouble might be the most impressive thing we have done all year. We had Jordon and Christian play the entire second half with big-time foul trouble. We had some people really step up. That is how it has been all year.”

The Seahawks face either Jacksonville College or Panola College at 8 p.m. Friday. Trinity Valley Community College and San Jacinto play in Friday’s first semifinal. The two semifinal winners meet for the tournament championship at 8 p.m. Saturday.