University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Georgia Southern
Players Mentioned
MBB Game 17 Preview: South Alabama
1/16/2015 6:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Saturday, Jan. 17 • 7:15 p.m. (CST) • Cajundome (11,500) • Lafayette, La.
Game Notes: Louisiana | South Alabama
Live Stats
Radio: KHXT 107.9 FM Video: RaginCajuns.com
Rosters: Louisiana | South Alabama
Statistics: Louisiana | South Alabama
Ragin' Cajuns Twitter: @ULRaginCajuns | @Cajunbasketball
Opponents Twitter: @SouthAlaMBK
THE COACHES
Louisiana: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Career Record: 424-235 (22nd season) Record at Louisiana: 76-69 (5th season)
South Alabama: Matthew Graves (Butler, 1998)
Career Record: 15-32 (2nd season) Record at South Alabama: Same
FOR STARTERS
The Ragin' Cajuns suffered their first loss of 2015 and Sun Belt Conference play on Thursday at Georgia Southern, but now return home for the first of three home games in a span of just five days on Saturday against South Alabama. Currently, the Cajuns find themselves in in a three-way tie for first place with ULM and Georgia Southern, a quarter of the way through league play.
THE LAST TIME OUT
Louisiana got 18 points and eight rebounds from junior Shawn Long, but Georgia Southern kept the Ragin' Cajuns at arm's length all night in handing them their first conference loss of the year, 78-70, in front of a capacity crowd on Thursday at Hanner Fieldhouse.
The Cajuns scored the first bucket of the game, but trailed the rest of the way as the Eagles hit seven threes and 17-for-24 from the foul line to move into a tie for first place in the Sun Belt Conference.
It was Louisiana's first-ever trip to Statesboro in the team's first meeting since 1992, and was a slot start as the Cajuns hit just one of 10 shots to open up the game and trailed by as much as 13 points in the first half. UL got as close as a bucket midway through the second period, and cut an eight-point lead with 3:07 to play down to just three on a triple from Hayward Register; however, the Eagles
Long led the Cajuns in scoring and rebounds, hitting a pair of threes and moving past Bill McHorris into the top 25 in career scoring at UL. Brian Williams added 10 points and six boards, and Register provided a spark of the bench with four makes from beyond the arc; however, no other player managed to reach double figures for Louisiana.
UP NEXT
A Monday date with in-state rival ULM awaits the Ragin' Cajuns before hosting Arkansas State on Thursday at the Cajundome. Louisiana then heads east for a re-match with preseason league favorite Georgia State on Jan. 24, a game that will be aired on ESPN3.
• The Cajuns went 31-for-38 from the free throw line against Georgia State, hitting all eight of its tries in the game's final minute to hold off the Panthers.
• Thursday's loss was just the second time this season UL has dropped a game in which it out-rebounded its opponent. They are now 10-2 when out-rebounding the opposition after owning the glass, 46-37, against Georgia Southern.
• UL pulled in 17 offensive rebounds against Georgia Southern, tied for the second most in a game this year only behind 20 vs Northwestern State.
• Head coach Bob Marlin picked up his 300th career wins at the Division I level in UL's win at Appalachian State.
• Louisiana had its streak of eight straight games scoring at least 80 points snapped at Georgia Southern. It was the longest such streak for UL since the 1989-90 squad had 11 straight 80+-point games to start the season.
