COLUMBIA, Ky-. The Lindsey Wilson men's basketball team outlasted Brescia (Ky.) 85-75 in its season opener Sunday, October 26, at Biggers Sports Center.
Junior guard Kenyata Carbon led the way for the Blue Raiders with a standout performance, filling the stat sheet with 20 points, six rebounds, three assists, five steals, and a block. Senior forward Lual Lual added an efficient 16 points on 85 percent shooting while pulling down six rebounds. Esteban Oliveras and Julian Cunningham also reached double figures, scoring 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Transfer, Victory Naboya got Lindsey Wilson on the board first, hitting a smooth jumper to give the Blue Raiders a 2-0 lead in his debut. However, Brescia responded with a 10-0 run to take a 12-4 advantage midway through the first half. The Blue Raiders quickly answered with a 14-4 surge, highlighted by a big dunk from Carbon that energized the crowd and swung momentum back to the home team.
A late first-half push, sparked by an Oliveras layup and capped by a Latrell Kyles basket, sent Lindsey Wilson into the locker room leading 39-30.
Brescia opened the second half strong, cutting the deficit to two behind Jordan Cooke's scoring effort. But Lindsey Wilson found its rhythm as the half progressed. A Cunningham three-pointer extended the Blue Raiders' lead to a game-high 18 points, 75-57, with just over five minutes to play.
The Bearcats mounted one last rally, trimming the margin to five at 78-73 with just over four minutes remaining, but clutch free throws down the stretch sealed the win for the Blue Raiders, 85-75.
Lindsey Wilson returns to action 6 p.m. CT Tuesday, October 28, when they host Reinhardt (Ga.) at Biggers Sports Center.
