Louisiana Hosts Interstate 10 Rival McNeese on Thursday

Game Notes

GAME CENTER
Date: Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011
Location: Lafayette, La.
Opponent: McNeese State (3-3)
Site: Cajundome (11,550)
Game Time: 7:05 p.m.
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM (KPEL), 107.9 FM (KXHT)
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com

LOUISIANA
11-12 Record____________________     3-5
11-12 Sun Belt Record____________       0-0
Last Game______________________     Nov. 28, 2011
                                                                             at Kent State L, 67-76
Head Coach_____________________     Bob Marlin
   UL Record____________________      17-20 (2^nd Season)
   Career Record_________________      365-186 (19^th Season)
Web Site________________________    www.RaginCajuns.com

McNEESE STATE
11-12 Record____________________     3-3
11-12 SLC Record________________     0-0
Last Game______________________     Nov. 28, 2011
                                                                             at #20 California L, 57-73
Head Coach_____________________     Dave Simmons
   McNeese Record_______________     73-86 (6^th Season)
   Career Record_________________     100-115 (8^th Season)
Web Site________________________    www.McNeeseSports.com

Game Night Story Lines
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team hosts Interstate 10 rival McNeese State on Thusday at the Cajundome. It's the 86^th installment of the series that dates back to December 1951.
>>> For the 14^th consecutive season Louisiana and McNeese State meet on the basketball court, continuing the series which resumed in the 1998-99 season after being dormant for the previous six seasons. Louisiana owns an 8-5 edge in the current chapter of the series.
>>> The Cajuns and Cowboys meet at the Cajundome for the 11^th time. Louisiana is 9-1 in the arena vs. McNeese.
>>> UL seeks to end a two-game losing streak to McNeese. The Cowboys won the last two meetings – both played in Lake Charles at Burton Coliseum – by scores of 60-58 on Nov. 28, 2009 and 69-66 on Dec. 1, 2010.
>>> Louisiana is 2-1 at the Cajundome this season. McNeese is 1-3 on the road.
>>> Both teams traveled far distances to return home to Louisiana on Tuesday. The Cajuns flew from Cleveland after facing Kent State on Monday. McNeese traveled from California after a meeting with No. 20 Cal orn Monday.
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns played their first midweek game of the season on Monday at Kent State. It was the first of three games this week for Louisiana which hosts McNeese State on Thursday and visits Lamar on Saturday.
>>> All three of the Ragin' Cajuns wins this season have come when holding the opposition below 40 percent shooting.
>>> Eight Cajuns are averaging more than one assist per game, led by Raymone Andrews' 3.1 assists per game.

NO PLACE LIKE THE 'DOME
>>> Last season the Ragin' Cajuns posted a 10-4 record in the Cajundome – the 16^th consecutive season with a .500 mark or better.
>>> In 24 of the previous 26 seasons, the Cajuns have recorded a winning record.
>>> Since the turn of the century, UL's on-court record at the 'Dome is 117-40 (.745).
>>> The Cajuns are 12-5 in the Cajundome under the direction of Bob Marlin.
>>> Louisiana has turned in a 22-9 record at the Cajundome since the 2009-10 season which includes an impressive 16-1 mark against Sun Belt opponents.

COLEBY IN CONTROL
>>> Kadeem Coleby averaged 15 points and eight rebounds during the northeast trip.
>>> Coleby registered his first double-double in a UL uniform on Saturday at Duquesne, then followed up with a game-and season-high 19 points at Kent State on Monday.
>>> It's the second straight week he averaged double figures. The Nassau, Bahamas, native averaged 13.7 points during the Beryl Shipley Classic.
>>> Coleby is the Cajuns current leading scorer averaging 11.5 points per game.

CONSISTENT PRODUCTION INSIDE
>>> Kadeem Coleby has scored double figures in five straight games.
>>> During the streak he's averaging 14.2 points per game.
>>> As a result, the Cajuns points in the paint average per game is 33.2 over the last five games.

BROWN RETURNS TO THE COURT
>>> Josh Brown, who left the Cal State Fullerton game early with a head injury then missed the Nicholls State and Duquesne games, returned to the court on Monday night at Kent State.
>>> The senior guard collected seven made field goals and scored 16 points.

McCLELLAN STEPS UP IN STARTER'S ROLE
>>> Darshawn McClellan, was inserted into the starting lineup at Kent State in place of J.J. Thomas who missed the game with a knee injury.
>>> McClellan responded well in his first start in a Cajuns uniform, registering a season-high 17 points. He also added three 3-point field goals, five assists and seven rebounds in 33 minutes of action.

A SPECIAL WEAPON
>>> The Cajuns bench has outscored the opponents bench in all but one game this season. Kent State became the first opponent to outscore the Cajuns doing so 29-19 on Monday.
>>> A big part in why Kent State was able to outscore the Cajuns bench was UL's top leading scorer off the bench, Darshawn McClellan, started in place of J.J. Thomas.
>>> Through eight games, the UL bench is averaging 30.2 points per game.
>>> UL's bench has reached 40 points twice (at San Francisco, vs. Nicholls State).
>>> On average, the Cajuns bench is outscoring the opposition's bench 30.2 to 25.1.

PLENTY OF DEPTH
>>> The Cajuns have played 10-12 deep on the court each game.
>>> After eight contests, UL has 10 players averaging double figure minutes per game.
>>> The highest averages are Raymone Andrews (25.4 mpg) and J.J. Thomas (24.0 mpg).

DISTRIBUTING THE BASKETBALL
>>> Nine different Cajuns tallied at least one assist at Duquesne. At Kent State, five different players tallied at least two assists.
>>> The Cajuns already have five players with double figure assists, led by Raymone Andrews' team-best 24 (3.0 assists per game).

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
>>> The Cajuns travel west on Interstate 10 for a meeting with Lamar at the Montagne Center in Beaumont, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 3. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
>>> It's the end of a four-year, home-and-home series (UL up 2-1 in current series).
>>> UL has won the last two meetings including the only one so far at the Montagne Center since the current series began in 2008-09 (W, 68-60 on Dec. 19, 2009).
>>> Overall, the Cajuns and Cardinals meet for the 82nd time with Louisiana holding a 41-40 series edge.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Louisiana Hosts Interstate 10 Rival McNeese on Thursday

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