Cajuns Host Rival Jaguars in First Home Game on "New Year"

Game Notes

GAME CENTER
Date: Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012
Location: Lafayette, La.
Opponent: South Alabama (8-6, 0-3 Sun Belt)
Site: Cajundome (11,550)
Game Time: 7:07 p.m.
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM (KPEL), 107.9 FM (KHXT) – Jay Walker, play-by-play
Television: Cox4 (Ragin' Cajuns Network) – Jimmy Frederick, play-by-play; Eric Mouton, analyst
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com

LOUISIANA
11-12 Record____________________     8-9
11-12 Sun Belt Record____________       2-1
Last Game______________________     Jan. 7, 2012
                                                                             at Middle Tennessee L, 53-65
Head Coach____________________       Bob Marlin
   UL Record____________________       22-24 (2^nd Season)
   Career Record_________________      370-190 (19^th Season)
   Marlin vs. USA_________________       1-1
Web Site_______________________    www.RaginCajuns.com

SOUTH ALABAMA
11-12 Record____________________     8-6
11-12 Sun Belt Record____________       0-3
Last Game______________________     Jan. 7, 2012
                                                                             vs. Denver L, 50-67
Head Coach____________________        Ronnie Arrow
   USA Record___________________       197-150 (13^th Season)
   Career Record_________________      331-241 (21^stSeason
   Arrow vs. UL__________________        5-9
Web Site_______________________     www.USAJaguars.com

Game Night Story Lines
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team plays its first home game of the “New Year” on Thursday hosting South Alabama at the Cajundome. The game is set for a 7:07 p.m. tipoff and is being broadcast on Cox4 as part of the Ragin' Cajuns Network television package.
>>> Louisiana enters the USA game riding a five-game winning streak at the Cajundome since a loss to Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 19.
>>> UL is 6-1 at the Cajundome this season and 16-5 (.762) under the direction of head coach Bob Marlin.
>>> Dating back to the 2009-10 season, the Ragin' Cajuns have gone 17-1 in Sun Belt Conference play at the Cajundome. Entering the USA game, UL has won seven straight SBC games in the 'Dome.
>>> The Cajuns have held their last five opponents to four or fewer three-point field goal makes (Middle Tennessee was 1-for-11 last Saturday). During the five-game stretch, opponents are shooting 15-of-69 from three-point range (21.7%).
>>> The Cajuns are 13-5 in regular season contests under Bob Marlin after January 1. The catalyst of the strong mark was last season's 11-game winning streak.
>>> Louisiana ranks second in the Sun Belt in field goal percentage defense. The Cajuns have held opponents to 39.4 percent shooting through 17 games, trailing only Middle Tennessee (38.6%).
>>> UL's defense has been solid through three Sun Belt contests. In SBC play, the Cajuns have held opponents 35.3% shooting including a paltry 16.7% from 3-point range.
>>> The Cajuns have shot the ball well this season, shooting 40 percent or higher in 12 of 17 contests. All eight wins have come when shooting above 40 percent.
>>> The magic number for UL so far this year is 70. When scoring above 70 the Cajuns are 6-1. When scoring below 70 the squad is 2-8.

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.
>>> Louisiana has turned in a 26-9 record at the Cajundome since the 2009-10 season which includes an impressive 17-1 mark against Sun Belt opponents.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
>>> Louisiana held Florida Atlantic to 55 points and limited a squad that was averaging 8.5 three-point field goal makes per game to just two in the SBC opener.
>>> Last Thursday at WKU, the Cajuns held the Hilltoppers below 40 percent shooting the entire evening and limited them to a 33.3 percent clip (25-of-75).
>>> Last Saturday at Middle Tennessee, UL held the Blue Raiders to 36 percent shooting. MT entered the game Top 10 nationally in field goal percentage at 50 percent.

GETTING DEFENSIVE, PART TWO
>>> UL has held the opposition below 70 points in regulation six of the last seven games.

A BOOST OFF THE BENCH
>>> Since returning to the court on Dec. 21 after missing six games with lingering effects from an off-season knee injury, J.J. Thomas has come off the bench and provided Louisiana with average of 12.0 points per game in an average of 23 minutes of action.
>>> UL is 6-5 this season with J.J. Thomas on the court and 2-4 in the games he missed.

THE MINUTE MAN
>>> With 95 games of SEC experience at Vanderbilt prior to joining the Cajuns this season, head coach Bob Marlin was leaning upon Darshawn McClellan to provide ample minutes.
>>> Through the first 17 games of play, McClellan leads the Cajuns averaging 27.2 minutes per game.
>>> McClellan had a stellar Sun Belt debut vs. FAU at the Cajundome, scoring a game-high 15 points and pulling down seven rebounds.

TWO HELPING HANDS
>>> Raymone Andrews and Elfrid Payton have combined to run the point guard slot for the Cajuns this season. The duo has combined for 93 assists (Payton 47/Andrews 46).

COLEBY IN CHARGE
>>> Kadeem Coleby leads the Cajuns having reached double figures scoring in nine games. Coleby leads the Sun Belt in field goal percentage (58.8%).

LAST SEASON VS. USA (Jan. 30, 2011 at Mobile, Ala. – UL won 76-70 in OT)
>>> The Cajuns had lost 15 consecutive road games, last winning away from the Cajundome on January 30, 2010 at La.-Monroe.
>>> The Cajuns trailed the entire second half, by as much as seven, before grabbing the lead with 1:45 to go in the second half. Two from the stripe by J.J. Thomas and a layup by La'Ryan Gary gave the Cajuns their first lead since the 4:55 mark of the first half.
>>> Augustine Rubit hit one-of-two from the line to tie the game with 41.8 seconds remaining. The Cajuns had two shots at the end of regulation, but neither would fall.
>>> UL outscored the Jags 13-7 in overtime.

LAST TIME VS. USA IN THE CAJUNDOME (Jan. 24, 2009 – UL won 67-65)
>>> With 2.4 seconds remaining Louisiana inbounded the ball to Randell Daigle who took two steps across halfcourt and sank a game-winning 3-pointer.
>>> Daigle's shot came right after Domonic Tilford had a three-point make roll into the rim to give USA what appeared to be the game-winning points and a 65-64 lead.
>>> Daigle's buzzer-beater was his only three-point make of the contest.
>>> Daigle's opportunity to win the game was set up by UL's defense which held USA scoreless from the 4:08 mark until Tilford's triple at 2.4 remaining.

A SPECIAL WEAPON
>>> The UL bench has outscored the opponents bench in all but five games this season.
>>> 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 27.9 to 23.9.

SERIES HISTORY (Louisiana leads 24-20, overall; UL leads 11-8 in Cajundome)
>>> All but four meetings in the series have occurred during the Sun Belt Conference era.
Louisiana holds a 21-14 lead in SBC regular season contests.
>>> Cajuns and Jaguars meet as conference rivals for the 21^st straight season (since '91-92).
>>> Twelve (12) of the last 14 regular season meetings have been decided by single digits which includes seven games decided by five points or less.
>>> Louisiana has won eight of the last 13 meetings, overall. In the last meeting, J.J. Thomas dominated with 28 points and 13 rebounds in a 76-70 overtime victory by the Cajuns at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Ala.
>>> Tonight's game marks the first meeting at the Cajundome since the 2008-09 season. In that meeting, Randell Daigle hit a buzzer-beater to give UL a 67-65 win on Jan. 24, 2009.
>>> UL head coach Bob Marlin faces South Alabama for the first time at the Cajundome.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
>>> Louisiana hosts FIU on Saturday at the Cajundome. The game, scheduled for 7:15 p.m., is the second half of a doubleheader with the Cajuns women.
>>> The FIU contest brings to an end a string of five consecutive games against Sun Belt East Division foes to start conference play.
>>> UL is 7-1 vs. FIU in regular season games at the Cajundome since the Panthers joined the Sun Belt Conference (1998-99).

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Cajuns Host Rival Jaguars in First Home Game on "New Year"

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