The Lamar State College Port Arthur Seahawks suffered the team’s first loss of the season Tuesday.

Tyler Junior College, sporting four players who have signed Division I scholarships, defeated LSCPA 66-61 at the Carl Parker Center.

The reason for the outcome was simple to point to. The Seahawks shot 56 percent at the free throw line and Tyler shot 73 percent. Both teams took 23 free throws and LSCPA made 13 and Tyler made 17.

“I thought we lost at the free throw line,” LSCPA coach Lance Madison said. “They made four more points at the free throw line. We have to go up there and convert. We are at home and we should hit them. They are on the road and they made theirs. Good teams make free throws and that is something we have to improve on.”

Seahawks freshman and Ozen graduate John Comeaux made a pair of free throws for LSCPA with 20 seconds on the clock to pull his team to within 63-61. It would be the last points of the game for the Seahawks.

Tyler (8-0) went 4-for-4 from the free throw line to end the game.

The Apaches got a lot of production out of thee of the players headed to DI schools next year.

Jaquan McCauley, signed with Morehead State, had 19 points and seven boards. He shot 8 of 11 from the free throw line.

Washington State signee Kwinton Hinson finished with 15 points and 11 boards and Eden Ewing, a Purdue signee, added 14 points, eight boards and three assists.

Davante Cooper is also a Washington State signee. He finished with two points and four rebounds.

LSCPA (7-1) put four players in double digit scoring and was led by 14 points from sophomore Petar Radojicic. Radojicic had a double double with 12 rebounds.

Comeaux finished with 13 points, Chol Luk had 11 and Akol Deng added 10 points and seven rebounds.

The two teams were close all first half and LSCPA led 19-17 after a free throw by Keion Harrington who finished with nine points and seven rebounds before he fouled out with 5:37 left in the game.

Tyler then went on a 9-0 run led by seven points from Hinson who hit a pair of free throws, drained a jumper and then hit a three-pointer.

LSCPA countered with its own 7-0 run to tie the game back at 26-26. Chol started the run with a three before both Radojicic and Deng each had baskets.

Deng hit a shot right before half to pull the Seahawks to within 30-28.

Tyler had moments in the second half when it looked like the visitors would pull away from the home squad.

Tyler took a 53-41 lead after a three by Hinson and had an eight-point lead at 58-50 later in the game.

LSCPA was able to cut it to 58-55 after a basket by Radojicic.

Ewing had one of the biggest plays of the game at the :39 mark off a missed basket by Tyler. He tipped the ball back into the net to give the Apaches a 63-57 lead.

The Seahawks were the shorter of the two teams but stayed close to Tyler in the rebound category. Tyler grabbed 42 boards compared to 37 for LSCPA.

LSCPA forced 15 turnovers and only had seven in the game.

The Seahawks travel to face Trinity Valley Community College at 4 p.m. Saturday. LSCPA is back at home next Wednesday for a 7 p.m. contest against Navarro College.

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Gabriel Pruett: 721-2436. Twitter: @PaNewsGabe