MBB Game 8 Preview: at Nicholls

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team heads down the bayou on Friday when it travels to Thibodaux to face in-state opponent Nicholls at Stopher Gym.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game can be heard in the Lafayette area on KHXT 107.9 FM. A live video stream, courtesy of Nicholls, will be available on the basketball schedule page at RaginCajuns.com.

Louisiana (5-2), which earned an 89-78 win over McNeese on Tuesday, makes its first visit to Thibodaux since 1971 while playing the second of six straight games against in-state schools. The Ragin' Cajuns placed four players in double figures against the Cowboys with Malik Marquetti scoring a career-high 17 points with five 3-pointers.

JaKeenan Gant (16 points), Frank Bartley (11) and Johnathan Stove (11) each scored in double figures for the Ragin' Cajuns with Bryce Washington pulling down 12 rebounds.

GAME 8: Louisiana (5-2) at Nicholls (4-3)
Date / Time: December 1, 2017 / 7 p.m.
Site: Thibodaux, La.
Arena: Stopher Gym (3,600)
Radio: KHXT FM 107.9
Talent: Steve Peloquin (pxp)

Website: RaginCajuns.com
Live Stats: RaginCajuns.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB

Series History: Louisiana leads, 23-3
At Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 15-2
At Thibodaux: Louisiana leads, 8-1
Streak: Louisiana +4

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Record at Louisiana: 133-106 (eighth season), Career Record: 481-272 (25th season)

NICHOLLS
Head Coach: Richie Riley (Eastern Kentucky, 2005)
Record at Nicholls: 18-20 (second season), Career Record: Same

STORY LINES
• Louisiana faces Nicholls in Thibodaux for the first time since Feb. 8, 1971.
• In nine games in Thibodaux, the Ragin' Cajuns are 8-1 overall with eight straight wins since Feb. 23, 1962.
• Tonight's game is the second of six straight for Louisiana against in-state schools.
• Head coach Bob Marlin is 17-6 overall in his career against the Colonels.
• The game at Nicholls is one of three in-state road games for the Ragin' Cajuns, who will visit Louisiana Tech (Dec. 12) and ULM (Feb. 3).
• With 1,035 points scored in his career, Bryce Washington can pass Lonnie Thomas (1,043 points, 1998-01) for 40th place in school history with nine points.
• Johnathan Stove, who returned to the lineup against McNeese after missing five games with an ankle/foot injury, is 185 points shy of reaching the 1,000-point mark.

QUICK HITS
• The Ragin' Cajuns return 75.6 percent of its scoring and 79.1 percent of its rebounds from the 2016-17 season.
• Bryce Washington is fourth among active NCAA players with 816 rebounds, tied for eighth with 27 career double-doubles and 14th in field goal percentage (.583).
• The Ragin' Cajuns are 24th nationally in scoring offense (88.0), 12th in steals per game (10.0) and seventh in assists per game (19.6).
• Marcus Stroman is 23rd nationally with 6.1 assists per game.
• Louisiana has won 20 or more games in three of the past four seasons.
• Malik Marquetti set career-highs in both points (17) and 3-pointers made (5) in Louisiana's 89-78 win over McNeese.
• Louisiana went 7-5 in games decided by six points or less in 2016-17 after going 0-6 in 2015-16. Under Bob Marlin, the Ragin' Cajuns are 41-41 overall in games decided by six points or less.
• Washington's 369 rebounds in 2016-17 were the fifth-most in a single-season in school history.
• Frank Bartley's six steals against Richmond at the Cayman Islands Classic is tied for the most by a Sun Belt Conference player this season (O'Showen Williams, Appalachian State vs. Bridgewater; 11/12/17).

SCOUTING THE COLONELS
• Nicholls, under second-year coach Richie Riley, have averaged 115.5 points in home wins over Spring Hill and Blue Mountain (Miss.) College while ranking sixth among NCAA schools in scoring offense (95.6).
• The Colonels have four players averaging in double figures, led by South Florida transfer Roddy Peters (19.9) and UNC Greensboro transfer Tevon Saddler (15.6). JUCO transfers Lafayette Rutledge (14.0) and Zaquavian Smith (12.0) also average in double figures for Nicholls.
• Nicholls has scored over 100 points in three games this season, opening the year with a 111-106 win at UT Rio Grande Valley (formerly UT Pan American) on Nov. 10. The Colonels have dropped games to Villanova, Western Kentucky and Maryland-Baltimore County.

UP NEXT
• Louisiana returns home to face Loyola of New Orleans in a 7 p.m. contest on Wednesday (Dec. 6) at the Cajundome.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Frank Bartley

JaKeenan Gant

Malik Marquetti

Johnathan Stove

Marcus Stroman

Bryce Washington

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