The Eagles Soar Past the Pilots in the RRAC Tournament Quarterfinals

ALEXANDRIA, La. –The Texas A&M University-Texarkana men's basketball team secured a dominant 88-67 victory over LSU-Shreveport in the opening round of the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Tournament on Friday morning at Laborde Earles Coliseum. During the regular season, the teams split their matchups— the Eagles claimed a decisive 91-77 win at home, while the Pilots evened the series with a thrilling triple-overtime victory at The Dock, edging out Texarkana 120-118.

The Eagles established control early, taking a 42-34 lead into halftime and extending their advantage with a 46-33 second-half performance. Raymond Moore led Texarkana with 22 points on an efficient 8-for-9 shooting, including a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Deovaunta Williams also contributed 22 points, adding five rebounds and three assists.

Texas A&M-Texarkana shot 47.2% from the field, including 32.1% from three-point range, while the Pilots struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 15% (3-for-20), and TAMUT capitalized on turnovers with 21 points off LSUS mistakes. The Eagles' depth proved crucial, as their bench outscored the Pilots' reserves 37-16.

The Eagles dominated in transition with 16 fast-break points, while LSUS was held scoreless in that category. Despite winning the second-chance points battle (14-8), the Pilots couldn't overcome their shooting woes and 18 turnovers.

Texas A&M-Texarkana advances to the next round, looking to build on this dominant performance as they continue their tournament run.The Eagles will face off against the no. 1 seed LSU-Alexandria for a chance to go to the RRAC Championship. Tip off is scheduled for 3 p.m. tomorrow, March 1 at the Laborde Earles Coliseum.