Waxahachie, TX | Nov. 1, 2025 — In a high-stakes rematch of last year's NAIA National Tournament Round of 32, the No. 17 Nelson University Lions battled to the wire with No. 17 LSU Alexandria inside the Sheaffer Center on Saturday night. Despite leading by double digits in the first half and staging a furious late rally, the Lions came up just shy, falling 70–68 in a classic that lived up to the billing.
The Lions came out firing behind the backcourt duo of Micah Clark and Trelin Green, who combined for 15 of Nelson's first 25 points. Green's early three-pointers and Clark's fast-break finishes sparked a 10-point lead midway through the opening half. The Sheaffer Center crowd roared as JJ Boling spanked three consecutive triples, giving Nelson rhythm and confidence against the Generals' shifting defensive looks.
But LSUA countered behind sharpshooter E.J. McQuillan, who poured in 19 first-half points en route to a game-high 23. The Generals hit timely shots to reclaim momentum, leading 39–36 at the break. Nelson opened the second half strong, reclaiming the lead 49–44 on back-to-back buckets from Clark.
The game's final minutes were pure drama. With Nelson trailing by eight inside the last three minutes, Clark slammed home a two-handed dunk off a Jesse Iweze assist, then Green's coast-to-coast layup cut it to two with 1:27 left. Free throws became the decider and LSUA hit just enough, while Nelson's final look from full court rimmed out as time expired.
Clark led the Lions with 20 points and 7 rebounds, while Green added 15 points and 6 assists. Iweze anchored the paint with 7 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks, and Boling contributed 9 points on 3-for-5 shooting from deep.
Despite the loss, Nelson shoot 51% from the floor and held LSUA to just 36%. The Lions drop to 2–1 on the season but continue to look like a national contender.
Next Up
Nelson hosts Dallas Christian College on Thursday, November 6 at 7:00 PM inside the Sheaffer Center.
Nelson University (formerly SAGU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.
