Cajuns Visit Troy Looking to Keep Win Streak Alive

Game Notes

GAME CENTER
Date: Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012
Location: Troy, Ala.
Opponent: Troy (7-14, 2-8 Sun Belt)
Site: Sartain Hall (4,000)
Game Time: 7:30 p.m.
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM (KPEL), 107.9 FM (KHXT) – Jay Walker, play-by-play
Live Stats/Video: www.TroyTrojans.com

LOUISIANA-TROY SERIES
The Series: Louisiana leads 6-4
In Troy: Louisiana leads 2-1
Series Streak: Louisiana - won 2
Last Meeting: Louisiana 93, Troy 91 (Cajundome // Jan. 6, 2011)
Noteworthy: All series meetings have come since Troy joined the Sun Belt Conference in the 2005-06 season. First meeting took place Jan. 14, 2006 at the Cajundome (Troy won 73-50).

LOUISIANA
11-12 Record____________________     13-11
11-12 Sun Belt Record____________        7-3
Last Game______________________     Feb. 2, 2012
                                                                             vs. Denver W, 72-71 (OT)
Head Coach____________________        Bob Marlin
   UL Record____________________        27-26 (2^nd Season)
   Career Record_________________     375-192 (19^th Season)
   Marlin vs. Troy________________         1-0
Web Site_______________________    www.RaginCajuns.com

TROY
11-12 Record____________________     7-14
11-12 Sun Belt Record____________       2-8
Last Game______________________     Feb. 2, 2012
                                                                            vs. FIU L, 50-63
Head Coach____________________       Don Maestri
   Troy Record___________________     492-371 (30^th Season)
   Career Record_________________     Same
   Maestri vs. UL_________________       4-6
Web Site_______________________     www.TroyTrojans.com

Game Night Story Lines
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team takes a break from Sun Belt West division battles on Saturday with a contest against Troy at Sartain Hall in Troy, Ala. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
>>> The meeting with the Trojans marks the final Sun Belt East foe that UL faces in the 2011-12 regular season.
>>> UL defeated Denver 72-71 in overtime on Thursday, picking up its third straight victory which equals the squad's season-high win streak. The Cajuns have a chance to extend the win streak to a new season-best four games.
>>> The win over Denver upped the Cajuns' record against SBC West foes to 4-1 in the first round of divisional play. After the Troy contest, UL wraps up the season with the second round of divisional play which begins on Thursday, Feb. 9 vs. UALR at the Cajundome.
>>> Louisiana appears at Sartain Hall for the first time since the 2008-09 season. That year, the Cajuns posted an 83-81 win on Jan. 10, 2009 behind a school-record 15 triples.
>>> Louisiana is 7-3 in Sun Belt Conference action, the best mark through 10 league games since the 2004-05 season (8-2 through nine SBC games that season).
>>> UL enters Saturday's game trailing SBC West leader UALR by one-half game. The Trojans host La.-Monroe at the Jack Stephens Center Saturday evening.
>>> UL has held the opposition to 70 points or less in regulation 12 of the last 14 games.
>>> UL leads the Sun Belt averaging 41.6 rebounds per game in conference play. Troy is last in the league surrendering 40.3 rebounds per game in conference play.
>>> In SBC play, the Cajuns have held opponents to 37.9% shooting including a meager 28.0% (42-of-150) from 3-point range. UL ranks second in the league behind only Middle Tennessee (36.2%) in field goal percentage defense in conference play.
>>> The Cajuns have shot the ball well this season, shooting 40 percent or higher in 17 of 24 contests.

ON TARGET
>>> Bob Marlin-coached teams have won a division title each of the past three seasons. Louisiana enters Saturday's play only one-half game behind SBC West leader UALR.

TAMING THE SUN BELT
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns are 18-8 in Sun Belt action under the direction of Bob Marlin.
>>> Marlin's current SBC win percentage of .692 ranks ninth (9^th) all-time in SBC history.

WINNING THE IMPORTANT ONES
>>> Head-to-head matchups with Sun Belt West division will play a key factor in the race for the division title. Louisiana finished the first round of division play with a 4-1 mark.
>>> UL starts the second round of SBC tilts on Thursday, Feb. 9 vs. UALR at the Cajundome.

WELCOME TO TROY
>>> Saturday's contest marks the Ragin' Cajuns first visit under the direction of head coach Bob Marlin.
>>> For Marlin, it's his first game as a head coach at Satrain Hall as he did not face the Trojans as head coach at Sam Houston State.

VETERANS OF THEIR TRADE
>>> Louisiana head coach Bob Marlin (19^th season) and Don Maestri (30^th season) combined have 49 years of head coaching experience and their career victories total adds up to 867 (Marlin with 375 victories and Maestri with 492).

PAYTON SHINES, AGAIN
>>> Freshman Elfrid Payton hit the winning layup in overtime at Western Kentucky on Jan. 5 and now he can add the Denver heroics to his highlight reel in his rookie season.
>>> Payton scored a layup with 16 seconds left in OT vs. Denver to forge a 71-all tie. Then after a steal on the ensuing possession, drew a foul with 0.4 seconds remaining and sank a free throw to provide the winning margin.

BROWN DOES DELIVER
>>> In Sun Belt play, Josh Brown is averaging a team-best 13.0 points and team-best 7.7 rebounds per game.
>>> Against Denver, he delivered his second double-double of the year (21 pts, 10 rebs).

LAST TIME AT TROY (Jan. 10, 2009 – UL won 83-81)
>>> Randell Daigle tied his career-high with five of UL's school-record tying 15 three pointers. Daigle hit the final 3-pointer for a 74-69 lead with 4:33 left.
>>> Travis Bureau, who scored 21 points, was fouled on a 3-point attempt and hit three free throws for a 77-71 advantage with 3:14 left.
>>> Troy cut the lead to 79-78, but Louisiana sealed the game at the free throw line.
>>> Tyren Johnson made two freebies with 36 seconds remaining to make it 81-78. Emmanuel Adeife created a two possession game with two makes (83-78).

BALANCED EFFORT
>>> Seven different players have already scored 100-plus for the Cajuns this season.
>>> UL had a different leading scorer each of the six games prior to the Denver matchup.
>>> Louisiana has seven different players averaging at least six points per game.
>>> Seven different players average 20-plus minutes on a consistent basis.

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING
>>> Just how strong has the Cajuns defense been in Sun Belt play? One look at the statistics for conference-games only tells the story.
>>> In Sun Belt play, Louisiana ranks second in field goal percentage defense (37.9%) and leads the league in defensive rebounds (28.3 drpg), 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.0%), total rebounds (41.6 rpg), and blocked shots (5.5 bpg).

A CONSISTENT THREAT FROM THREE
>>> Darshawn McClellan ranks Top 10 in the SBC in three-point field goal percentage (41.5%). He leads the Cajuns with 27 made three-point field goals (27-of-65).

A SPECIAL WEAPON
>>> The UL bench has outscored the opponents bench in all but eight games this season.
>>> UL's bench has reached 30-plus points on eight different occasions which includes three times above 40 (at San Francisco, vs. Nicholls State, vs. Dillard).
>>> On average, the Cajuns bench is outscoring the opposition's bench 27.0 to 23.0.

SERIES HISTORY (Louisiana leads 6-4, overall; Louisiana leads 2-1 in Sartain Hall)
>>> All series meetings have come since Troy joined the Sun Belt Conference in the 2005-06 season. First meeting took place Jan. 14, 2006 at the Cajundome (Troy won 73-50).
>>> UL has won the last two meetings at Sartain Hall (W, 87-66 on 1/27/08 & W, 83-81 on 1/10/09). Saturday's game marks the first meeting at Sartain Hall since the 2008-09 season.
>>> Saturday's game marks the 11^th meeting all-time, but just the fourth in Troy.
>>> Louisiana broke a 3-all series tie with an 83-81 victory at Sartain Hall on Jan. 10, 2009 – the Cajuns second straight win at the facility. UL tied a school record with 15 three-point baskets made. Troy gained revenge with an 81-67 win at the Cajundome on Feb. 26, 2009.
>>> During Troy's first season in the SBC in 2005-06, Louisiana avenged two regular season losses with a 62-59 overtime win in the 2006 SBC Tournament quarterfinals (the Cajuns last Sun Belt Tournament victory).

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
>>> Louisiana starts the second round of divisional play in the Sun Belt West with a two-game homestand against the Arkansas schools.
>>> The Cajuns host UALR on Thursday, Feb. 9 and Arkansas State on Saturday, Feb. 11.
>>> UL has not lost a game to a SBC West foe at the Cajundome since the 2008-09 season.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Cajuns Visit Troy Looking to Keep Win Streak Alive

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