Andre Walker II led the Lamar State College Port Arthur Seahawks in a tough NJCAA Region 14 opener on Wednesday night, scoring 13 points, but it wasn't enough as the Hawks fell 97-69 to Panola College.

The Ponies, ranked No. 4 in the nation in the National Junior College Athletic Association, had five players in double figures, led by Jaylen Drake's 16 points.

The Hawks hung close to the Ponies in the first half but eventually fell behind 47-31 by the end of the first half. LSCPA, now 3-6 overall and 0-1 in conference play, also had a double-figure scoring effort from Darel Reece, a sophomore guard from The Woodlands, with 11 points. He also added a team-best four assists.

Walker, a sophomore guard from Houston, led the Seahawks in the first half with 10 points but Panola found the answer for his offensive production, limiting him to just three in the second half.

The Seahawks return home on Saturday, taking on the 5-3 Kilgore College Rangers at 4 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center. The Rangers lost their conference-opener to Trinity Valley Community College, which is ranked No. 1 in the nation this week.