Cajuns at the Cajundome on New Year's Eve for Sun Belt Opener

Game Notes

GAME CENTER
Date: Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011
Location: Lafayette, La
Opponent: Florida Atlantic (4-9, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Site: Cajundome (11,550)
Game Time: 4:15 p.m.
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM (KPEL), 107.9 FM (KHXT) – Jay Walker, play-by-play
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com

LOUISIANA
11-12 Record____________________     6-8
11-12 Sun Belt Record____________       0-0
Last Game______________________     Dec. 21, 2011
                                                                           vs. UCF W, 61-60
Head Coach____________________       Bob Marlin
   UL Record____________________       20-23 (2^nd Season)
   Career Record_________________      368-189 (19^th Season)
   Marlin vs. FAU_________________       1-0
Web Site_______________________     www.RaginCajuns.com

FLORIDA ATLANTIC
11-12 Record____________________     4-9
11-12 Sun Belt Record____________       0-0
Last Game______________________     Dec. 28, 2011
                                                                             vs. Siena L, 60-67
Head Coach____________________      Mike Jarvis
   FAU Record___________________       46-62 (4^th Season)
   Career Record_________________      364-264 (23^rd Season)
   Jarvis vs. UL__________________       2-2
Web Site_______________________     www.FAUSports.com

Game Night Story Lines
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team vies for back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they face Florida Atlantic in the 2011-12 Sun Belt Conference opener at the Cajundome on New Year's Eve.
>>> Louisiana has won four straight at home and is 5-1 at the Cajundome this season.
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns defeated UCF 61-60 on Dec. 21 at the Cajundome in the team's last outing before taking a nine-day break from action for the Christmas holiday.
>>> The Cajuns and Owls are meeting the first-ever New Year's Eve game at the Cajundome. The last time a UL team played a home game on New Year's Eve was Dec. 31, 1964 at Blackham Coliseum vs. Western Carolina (W, 105-94).
>>> The UCF game marked the end of non-conference play for 2011-12. Today's meeting with FAU marks the first of 16 straight Sun Belt contests to end the season.
>>> UL begins its 21^st season of competition in the Sun Belt Conference. The Cajuns are 14-6 all-time in SBC openers.
>>> UL and FAU meet in a SBC opener for the second time in the past three seasons. The Cajuns and Owls kicked off the SBC slate in 2009-10 at the Cajundome with UL posting an 81-74 victory on Dec. 12, 2009.
>>> UL moved a little closer to full strength with the return of J.J. Thomas vs. UCF. He had missed the previous six outings with lingering effects from an off-season surgery.
>>> The Cajuns have shot the ball well this season, shooting 40 percent or higher in 10 of 14 contests.
>>> The Cajuns are shooting 50.2 percent (167-of-333) at home this season and have held the opposition to a paltry 35.5 percent (115-of-324).
>>> The magic number for UL so far this year is 70. When scoring above 70 the Cajuns are 5-1. When scoring below 70 the squad is 1-7.

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 120-40 (.750).
>>> The Cajuns are 15-5 in the Cajundome under the direction of Bob Marlin.
>>> Louisiana has turned in a 25-9 record at the Cajundome since the 2009-10 season which includes an impressive 16-1 mark against Sun Belt opponents.

HOME COOKING
>>> Louisiana has gone 16-1 in Sun Belt play at the Cajundome the past two seasons (9-0 in 2009-10 and 7-1 in 2010-11).
>>> The only SBC loss in the 'Dome since 2009-10 came in overtime vs. Middle Tennessee on Jan. 8, 2011 (L, 91-93).

BOUNCING BACK IN A BIG WAY
>>> Kadeem Coleby had a night to forget at Robert Morris on Dec. 17, finishing scoreless and fouling out in eight minutes of play.
>>> He bounced back in style with a season-high 20 points in addition to nine rebounds in the Cajuns win over UCF on Dec. 21.

AN EASTERN FLAIR
>>> Beginning with today's FAU contest, the Cajuns' first five Sun Belt games are against teams from the East Division.
>>> UL's first division contest won't occur until Jan. 19 at UALR.

DIVISION CHAMPIONS COLLIDE
>>> The Cajuns and Owls matchup features the two Sun Belt Conference division champions from the 2010-11 season (FAU won SBC East/UL won SBC West).

LAST TIME VS. FAU (Feb. 12, 2011 in Boca Raton – UL won 72-64)
>>> Florida Atlantic couldn't overcome the Cajuns hot shooting, as UL hit 51 percent from the floor, including 54.5 percent from three-point range (6-of-11).
>>> UL held FAU to 40.4 percent shooting, including 14.3 percent from behind the arc (2-of-14). FAU's last field goal came at the 10:59 mark. The Owls led 50-49 at that point.
>>> The turning point was an 8-0 run that increased the Cajuns lead to 11 with 4:20 remaining. Baskets by Randell Daigle, Travis Bureau and a second by Daigle preceded two from the free throw line by Raymone Andrews and gave the Cajuns a 68-57 lead.
>>> FAU responded with six straight points, all on free throws. J.J. Thomas then hit a tough running jumper as the shot clock expired to push the Cajuns lead back to seven points.

LAST TIME VS. FAU AT CAJUNDOME (Dec. 12, 2009 – UL won 81-74)
>>> UL held a 45-34 lead at half. The Cajuns shot 7-of-14 from three-point range, registered 16 points in the paint and scored 15 points off FAU turnovers.
>>> The Owls used their second 9-2 run of the second half to take a 58-57 lead with 8:44 remaining in the contest. Randell Daigle returned the lead to UL with a baseline jumper at 7:59.
>>> FAU drew within two points, 69-67, after a basket by Greg Gantt at 2:04. UL turned to Tyren Johnson on back-to-back possessions for inside baskets, the last coming at 1:03 for a 73-68 lead.
>>> UL's Tyren Johnson and FAU's Raymond Taylor both scored a game-high 23 points.

A SPECIAL WEAPON
>>> The UL bench has outscored the opponents bench in all but three games this season.
>>> Through 14 games, the UL bench is averaging 28.6 points per game.
>>> UL's bench has reached 40 points three times (at San Francisco, vs. Nicholls State, vs. Dillard). The bench provided a season-high 52 points in the 102-38 win over Dillard.
>>> On average, the Cajuns bench is outscoring the opposition's bench 28.6 to 24.1.

SERIES HISTORY (Tied 3-3, overall; Louisiana leads 2-0 in Cajundome)
>>> Series started when Florida Atlantic joined the Sun Belt Conference in the 2006-07 season.
>>> Today's game marks the seventh meeting in this young series and third at the Cajundome.
>>> This is the youngest series for the Ragin' Cajuns against any Sun Belt opponent (only the seventh meeting). The Troy series is the second youngest (10 meetings).
>>> The home team won the first five meetings. When Louisiana topped FAU 72-64 last season at FAU Arena it marked the first time in the series that the visiting team won.
>>> UL scored 81 points in the last Cajundome meeting (W, 81-74 on 12/12/09) and that total remains the most scored by either team in the series.
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns have a chance to register back-to-back wins over the Owls for the first time in the series. Neither school has had a string of consecutive wins in the series.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns take to the road for the Western Kentucky-Middle Tennessee road swing. Louisiana visits WKU on Thursday, Jan. 5 and faces MT on Saturday, Jan. 7.
>>> Louisiana hasn't won in Bowling Green or Murfreesboro since January 2004.
>>> It's the first WKU-MT road trip of the Bob Marlin era.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Cajuns at the Cajundome on New Year's Eve for Sun Belt Opener

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