Men's Hoops Hosts North Texas, Seeks to Keep Pace in SBC West

Game Notes

GAME CENTER
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012
Location: Lafayette, La.
Opponent: North Texas (12-8, 5-2 Sun Belt)
Site: Cajundome (11,550)
Game Time: 7:05 p.m.
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM (KPEL), 107.9 FM (KHXT) – Jay Walker, play-by-play
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com

LOUISIANA-NORTH TEXAS SERIES
The Series: Louisiana leads 17-15
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads 12-4
Cajundome: Louisiana leads 11-2
Streak: Louisiana - won 1
Last Meeting: Louisiana 93, North Texas 88 (Cajundome // Jan. 27, 2011)
Noteworthy: Wednesday's game is the 23rd Sun Belt meeting between the two programs. UL leads the series 12-10 in Sun Belt regular season games since North Texas joined the league in 2000-01.

LOUISIANA
11-12 Record____________________     10-11
11-12 Sun Belt Record____________       4-3
Last Game______________________     Jan. 21, 2012
                                                                             at Arkansas State L, 74-79
Head Coach____________________       Bob Marlin
   UL Record____________________       24-26 (2^nd Season)
   Career Record_________________     372-192 (19^th Season)
   Marlin vs. NT__________________       1-3
Web Site_______________________     www.RaginCajuns.com

NORTH TEXAS
11-12 Record____________________     12-8
11-12 Sun Belt Record____________        5-2
Last Game______________________     Jan. 21, 2012
                                                                              vs. Denver W, 75-74 (OT)
Head Coach____________________        Johnny Jones
   NT Record____________________        184-140 (11^thSeason)
   Career Record_________________       199-156 (12^th Season)
   Jones vs. UL__________________        11-10
Web Site_______________________     www.MeanGreenSports.com

Game Night Story Lines
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team returns to the Cajundome on Wednesday for a meeting with Sun Belt West division leader North Texas. Louisiana seeks to keep pace with the Mean Green, Denver and UALR who lead the division with a 5-2 mark.
>>> It's the first of two meetings this season between the Cajuns and Mean Green. Louisiana visits Denton, Texas on Saturday, Feb. 18.
>>> Dating back to the 2009-10 season, the Ragin' Cajuns have gone 18-2 in Sun Belt Conference play at the Cajundome.
>>> Louisiana is 11-2 all-time vs. North Texas at the Cajundome.
>>> Louisiana is coming off a 1-1 mark on the Arkansas road swing. The Ragin' Cajuns handed UALR its first Sun Belt loss of the season last Thursday holding the Trojans to a season-low 25.4 percent from the field. Louisiana's attempt at the sweep of the Arkansas road swing was spoiled after Arkansas State outscored the Cajuns by 15 in the second half to rally for a 79-74 win in Jonesboro.
>>> Wednesday's game represents the midway point of the Sun Belt schedule. Starting at La.-Monroe on Saturday, the Cajuns will have just eight league games remaining.
>>> A win on Wednesday would give UL a winning record at the Cajundome this season which would mark the 25^th winning season in the 27-year history of the facility.
>>> UL leads the Sun Belt averaging 41.3 rebounds per game in conference play. The Cajuns tied a season-high with 52 boards at UALR. The Cajuns were out-boarded 41-31 at Arkansas State and surrendered 22 second-chance points.
>>> In SBC play, the Cajuns have held opponents 37.4% shooting including a meager 24.5% (25-of-102) from 3-point range. UL ranks second in the league behind only Middle Tennessee (34.9%) in field goal percentage defense in conference play.
>>> The Cajuns have shot the ball well this season, shooting 40 percent or higher in 15 of 21 contests. All 10 wins have come when shooting above 40 percent.

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 27-10 record at the Cajundome since the 2009-10 season which includes an impressive 18-2 mark against Sun Belt opponents.

WHERE THE WEST ENDS: THE CAJUNDOME
>>> UL has not lost a Sun Belt contest to a Sun Belt West division squad at the Cajundome since the 2008-09 season. The Cajuns have swept their divisional brethren at home the past two seasons.
>>> The last SBC West division loss at the Cajundome came Jan. 15, 2009 vs. UALR (lost 79-71 in overtime).

BALANCED EFFORT
>>> Seven different players have already scored 100-plus for the Cajuns this season.
>>> UL has had a different leading scorer the last four games. Prior to the current stretch, the Cajuns had a different leading scorer in five consecutive games.
>>> Seven different players average 20-plus minutes on a consistent basis.

AN EMERGING THREAT
>>> Alan-Michael Thompson is beginning to heat up from three-point range for the Cajuns. The JUCO transfer is coming off a 3-for-4 showing from beyond the arc at UALR which led to him scoring a game-high 14 points off the bench.
>>> Thompson is 6-for-13 from long range in Sun Belt Conference play (46.2%).

THE THREE HORSEMEN
>>> Josh Brown (11.9 ppg), J.J. Thomas (11.7) and Darshawn McClellan (10.1 ppg) have combined to average 33.7 points per game in Sun Belt play.

LAST TIME VS. NORTH TEXAS IN CAJUNDOME (Jan. 27, 2011 – UL won 93-88)
>>> Louisiana shot 50 percent (30-of-60) and after using an 8-1 run to erase an early 2-0 deficit following a Josh White field goal, never trailed again.
>>> Randell Daigle joined the 1,000-point club at the 6:04 mark of the first half and dished an assist on an alley-oop to Josh Brown to give the Cajuns a 10-point lead, 31-21.
>>> Jacob Holmen hit back-to-back 3-pointers and White added another to bring NT to within three with 2:40 left in the half. UL clung to a 38-35 lead at halftime.
>>> Back-to-back three-pointers from Daigle and Raymone Andrews gave the Cajuns their largest lead of the game, 68-54, with 10:13 left.
>>> Dominique Johnson cut it to three with 34 seconds remaining on a pair of free throws, but that's as close as NT would come. A Daigle free throw 33 seconds remaining created a two-possession game, and a steal from Josh Brown with 22 seconds followed by a dunk in the waning seconds sealed the victory.

A CONSISTENT THREAT FROM THREE
>>> Darshawn McClellan, who averaged 17 points per game on the Cajuns last homestand (USA & FIU), ranks Top 10 in the SBC in three-point field goal percentage (43.9%).

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 (37.4%) and defensive rebounds (27.9 drpg) and leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage defense (24.5%), total rebounds (41.3 rpg), and blocked shots (6.4 bpg).

GETTING DEFENSIVE
>>> UL has held the opposition to 70 points or less in regulation nine of the last 11 games.

A SPECIAL WEAPON
>>> The UL bench has outscored the opponents bench in all but six 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 27.8 to 22.8.

SERIES HISTORY (Louisiana leads 17-15, overall; Louisiana leads 11-2 in Cajundome)
>>> The Cajuns are 12-4 all-time at home against the Mean Green (11-2 at the Cajundome).
>>> UL leads the series 12-10 in Sun Belt regular season games since North Texas joined the league in 2000-01.
>>> Wednesday's game is the 23rd Sun Belt meeting between the two programs.
>>> Louisiana has won the last two meetings at the Cajundome. In the first 'Dome meeting under Bob Marlin, UL downed North Texas 93-88 on Jan. 27, 2011.
>>> North Texas won six of the seven meetings from 2006-07 through 2008-09, trimming UL's series lead to 15-13. The teams have split the season series the last two years. UL's win at the Cajundome last season prevented the Mean Green from tying the all-time series mark.
>>> Two schools first met at the Cajundome on Dec. 20, 1985 with then-USL posting a 72-58 win. Including that victory, the Cajuns won the first eight meetings with the Mean Green at the 'Dome.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns are on the road, but stay in the state of Louisiana as they travel to Monroe for a meeting with the Warhawks on Saturday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
>>> Louisiana is 8-2 in regular season Sun Belt games vs. La.-Monroe. UL has swept the season series the past two seasons.
>>> The game is the second half of a doubleheader that begins with the Cajuns and Warhawks women's teams at 2 p.m.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Men's Hoops Hosts North Texas, Seeks to Keep Pace in SBC West

Next Event

Footer

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics