University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, December 22
Lafayette
7:00 PM
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
vs
Duquesne
Cajuns Close Non-Conference Schedule At Home vs. Duquesne
12/19/2012 10:47:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Contact: Brian McCann
Complete Release (PDF)
Game 13
Duquesne (6-5) at Louisiana (4-8)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m. CST
Site: Cajundome (11,550), Lafayette, Louisiana
Radio: KPEL (1420 AM) & KHXT (107.9 FM) (Ian Auzenne)
TV: None Live, Streaming available on the internet via RaginCajuns.com.
Series: Duquesne Leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Duquesne 84, UL 65 (11/26/11, Pittsburgh, Pa.)
THE COACHES:
LOUISIANA
BOB MARLIN (Mississippi State '81)
At Louisiana: 34-39 (3rd year)
4-Year Overall: 259-170 (15th year)
All Collegiate: 382-205 (20th year)
vs. Duquesne: 0-1
DUQUESNE
JIM FERRY (Keene State '90)
At DU: 6-5 (1st year)
Overall: 260-173 (15th year)
vs. Louisiana: 0-0
SETTING THE SCENE: The Cajuns close out the 11-game non-conference schedule when Louisiana hosts Duquesne on Saturday, Dec. 22 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Cajundome. It is the final game before the holiday break with tickets being available for $5 through a partnership between Louisiana Athletics and the United Way of Acadiana. The Cajuns dropped a 66-61 decision to Robert Morris on Tuesday to slip to 4-8 on the year, including a 3-2 record at home. Duquesne carried a 6-5 record into Wednesday's home game against Western Michigan. This will be the longest road trip of the year for the Dukes, who are 1-4 away from home this season, including losses at Georgetown (61-55), Pittsburgh (66-45), Robert Morris (91-69) and Albany (69-66). This is the second meeting between UL and Duquesne with the Dukes claiming an 84-65 decision in Pittsburgh on Nov. 26, 2011.
PREVIEWING LOUISIANA: With a lineup featuring six freshmen and four sophomores, third year head coach Bob Marlin is excited about the possibilities for the 2012-13 season, knowing that the team that took the court in November will grow and improve all season. As the new faces get acclimated to the collegiate game, the Cajuns have leaned heavily on junior Bryant Mbamalu (11.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and sophomore sensation Elfrid Payton (13.7, 6.4, 5.0). Guard Alan-Michael Thompson (4.7 ppg), the lone senior on the squad, should also play an increased role this year. Freshman forward Shawn Long (16.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg), a transfer from Mississippi State, and power forward Elridge Moore (5.1, 3.8), a JC transfer from Lamar State, will unite to form the nucleus of the inside game with freshman Cornell Barnett and walk-on Braylan Lazare providing the depth inside. Although Payton, Mbamalu and Thompson will provide the athleticism, quickness and leadership, the freshmen duo of Kasey Shepherd (2.5) and Steven Wronkoski (8.4, 3.2) and Josh Soto (1.5) will also contribute, giving Louisiana one of the deepest backcourts in the Sun Belt. Marlin wants to utilize the depth and quickness by forcing an up-tempo game at both ends of the court by applying more defensive pressure. Look for the Cajuns to use their quickness and outside shooting ability to create a balanced offense, forcing opponents to cover the entire court.
UL ATHLETICS TEAMS WITH THE UNITED WAY: The Louisiana Athletics Department and United Way of Acadiana are partnering to share ticket revenue and spread holiday cheer for the men's basketball game with Duquesne on Saturday (Dec. 22) at the Cajundome. All tickets to the game are available (100, 200 and 300 level) for a special discounted price of $5. The proceeds of the tickets sales will be split, benefitting both the United Way of Acadiana and Ragin' Cajuns Athletics. Acadiana area companies are encouraged to purchase tickets and donate them to the United Way, which will then distribute them to various youth and family groups under their umbrella.
MOSS LEAVES PROGRAM: Freshman Matt Moss, who scored 11 points in the first eight games this year, has left the Ragin' Cajuns basketball program and intends to transfer to another university. A 6-9, 212-pound forward from Anacoco, La., Moss joined the program this fall after playing last year at Charis Prep in Wilson, N.C.
LONG TRIES TO EQUAL FRESHMAN SCORING FEAT: With a 16.7 scoring average through 12 games and a three-point per game average ahead of second leading scorer Elfrid Payton (13.7 ppg), freshman Shawn Long is on pace to become just the fifth freshman to lead the team in scoring. He would join Tim Thompson (14.2 ppg in 1957-58), Jerry Flake (17.6, 1965-66), Andrew Toney (21.0, 1976-77) and Chris Gradnigo (9.6, 2007-08).
. . . AND A SCORING, REBOUNDS & BLOCKS ACCOMPLISHMENT: Shawn Long's impact is more than just being a scorer. Ranking third in the Sun Belt in rebounding (9.3), fourth in blocks (1.9) and fifth in scoring (16.7), Long is on a pace to become just the third player in school history to lead the team in all three stat categories in a single season. Tyren Johnson was the most recent, averaging 17.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 2009-10. Reginald Poole is the other to accomplish it, doing it in both 1996-97 (16.0, 10.3, 1.7) and 1998-99 (14.7, 7.1, 0.9).
FINISHING OUT THE CONTRACTS: The Cajuns are in the midst of a three-game stretch against opponents in which they have two-year contracts with. The game at Houston on Saturday (Dec. 15) was the first game in a two-year deal with the Cougars slated to visit UL next year. Tuesday's game against Robert Morris (Dec. 18) and Saturday's showdown with Duquesne (Dec. 22), a pair of schools from the Pittsburgh area, close out two-year deals the Cajuns started with road games last year.
THE FIRST ONE'S OUT OF THE WAY: Freshman Josh Soto has recorded several firsts over the last week. In the Dec. 11 win over Lamar, he landed his first career field goal make, a trey at the 3:38 mark of the first half. In Saturday's game at Houston (Dec. 15), Soto connected on his first two career three-pointers as part of a career-high six point night. He came back on Tuesday (Dec. 18) to make his first career start vs. Robert Morris.
SUPPORTING CAST DELIVERS: The Louisiana bench had a productive night vs. Lamar on Dec. 11, totalling 30 points with 21 coming in the first half. The performance ended a string of three straight single-digit showings by the bench which had been outscored 75-13 during the slump. The Lamar production was a season-best effort by the Cajuns bench and continued a season-long trend. In the four Cajun wins, the Louisiana bench is averaging 21.0 ppg. The bench has produced just 77 points in the eight losses (9.6 ppg).
HOME COOKING: With Louisiana in the middle of a stretch that has them playing three of four games at home, the Cajuns are looking forward to an extended stretch in the Cajundome. Louisiana is 3-2 at home this year, but had yet to play consecutive home games until this week. Tuesday's loss to Robert Morris dropped Bob Marlin's record at the Cajundome to 23-11 (.676). In 15 seasons as a Division I head coach, Marlin sports a home record of 158-38 (.806).
CHASING A TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Sophomore Elfrid Payton continues to inch closer and closer to recording the first triple-double by a Ragin' Cajuns player in almost a decade. Payton closed the 2011-12 season with a 13-point, eight-rebound and nine-assist game in the opening round of the Sun Belt Championship. He toyed with the stat in the season opener against Oakland (14 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists), SUNO (11,7 , 7) and on Dec. 1 at North Texas (14, 6, 9) and went a different route at Michigan State (Nov. 25), scoring 20 points with six rebounds and a career-high seven steals. He came the closest yet in the last two weeks. He scored 17 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists at McNeese State (Dec. 8) and came back with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five steals vs. Lamar (Dec. 11). For the record, the last triple-double by a Ragin' Cajuns player came on Jan. 5, 2006 when Michael Southall scored 19 points with 12 rebounds and 11 blocks at North Texas.
. . . BUT PAYTON MUST WALK BEFORE HE RUNS: Although Elfrid Payton has flirted with a triple-double, it took him until the McNeese State game on Dec. 8 to record his first career double-double. Payton scored 17 points with 10 rebounds in the contest. It only took him three days to get the second, scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds vs. Lamar on Dec. 11.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CHARITY: Bob Marlin said during the preseason that one area in which Louisiana would definitely show improvement is at the foul line, where the Cajuns shot just .631 (483-766) last year. So far, that prediction has come true as Louisiana has shot 70-percent or better from the line in seven of the 12 games. A season-low eight-for-17 effort vs. Robert Morris on Tuesday dropped Louisiana under the .700 mark for the year and the Cajuns enter the Duquesne game having gone 158-for-229 (.690). The last time that the Cajuns shot above 70-percent for an entire season came 20 seasons ago (1993-94) when they went 463-for-647 (.716).
. . . AND THE FRESHMEN LEAD THE WAY: The simplest way to improve a team's free throw shooting is to simply get better shooters and Bob Marlin has apparently done that. The five freshman on the Louisiana roster have made 61 of their 80 free throws this year (.763). Shawn Long (29-38, .763) and Steven Wronkoski (24-31, .767) lead the way, ranking ninth and 11th in the Sun Belt, respectively.
CAJUNS BENEFIT FROM LATE FREE THROW SHOOTING: The free throw shooting by the Cajuns has been at its best late in the game as Louisiana has gone 51-for-67 (.761) from the line in the final 5:00 minutes and overtime. Shawn Long (8-8) and Steven Wronkoski (6-6) lead the team while Bryant Mbamalu, a career .757 shooter (28-37), is seven-for-eight this year (.875). That is a considerable improvement from the .617 (121-196) that the Cajuns shot during the 2011-12 season.
MISTER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?: Elfrid Payton has shown his continued development as the Cajuns' point guard by handing out 60 assists this year to lead the Sun Belt averaging 5.0 assists per game. He matched his career high with nine assists at North Texas on Dec. 1, a career high originally set against North Texas in the Sun Belt Championship last year.
. . . AND GRAND THEFT FOR PAYTON: With 24 steals over the last seven games, Elfrid Payton has taken over the Sun Belt lead with 32 steals this season (2.7 spg). Payton had a career high seven steals at Michigan State on Nov. 25, falling one steal short of the school record, and came back to make four steals vs. Middle Tennessee. Last year, Payton lead the Cajuns with 37 steals.
IT WAS A LONG TIME COMING: The exhibition win over Loyola-New Orleans marked the Cajuns debut for forward Shawn Long. Long transferred to Louisiana last December after spending the fall semester at Mississippi State. The 6-9 native of Morgan City, La. practiced with the Cajuns during the final three months of the year but was not eligible to play. During the summer, he was granted a waiver of transfer rule that would have made him ineligible until early December, allowing him to play immediately. Eager to make up for the lost season, Long scored 11 of UL's first 18 points against Loyola, finishing the night with 17 points and a game-high eight rebounds, going seven-for-11 from the field with a pair of blocks.
. . . AND LONG HASN'T SLOWED: Shawn Long's steady play has allowed the freshman to lead the Cajuns in scoring (16.7), rebounding (9.3) and blocks (1.9), shooting .500 from the field (80-160) and .763 from the line (29-38). He ranks third in the league in rebounding, fourth in blocks and fifth in scoring. He has six double-doubles and four 20-point games. He had a career-high 27 points in the win at North Texas (Dec. 1) and added 17 points anda c areer-high 17 rebounds at McNeese State (Dec. 8) the following week.
GOING OVERTIME: The loss to Texas Southern on Nov. 16 marked the ninth time that the Cajuns have played to overtime under head coach Bob Marlin. Louisiana is now 6-3 in overtime games during that span, including a 4-1 record last season.
LONG IS DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE: A 12-point, 13-rebound effort against Robert Morris on Tuesday (Dec. 18) gave redshirt freshman forward Shawn Long his sixth double-double in 12 games to lead the Sun Belt. South Alabama's Augustine Rubit is second with five double-doubles.
. . . AND LONG SCORES THE BASKETBALL: Although it is still very early in the season, Shawn Long's four 20-point games has put the redshirt freshman on pace to record the most 20-plus point performances by a Cajun since former Sun Belt Player of the Year Tyren Johnson accomplished it 12 times in 2009-10.
WRONKOSKI PROVES MARLIN RIGHT: Bob Marlin has said many times this fall that when he took over as head coach two years ago, one of the first recruits he looked at was Steven Wronkoski, deciding that the current UL freshman's spirited play would be perfect in a Cajun uniform. Wronkoski has yet to prove Marlin wrong, averaging 8.4 points and 3.2 rebounds this year. He posted back-to-back career highs of 12 points vs. SUNO on Nov. 21 and, in his first career start, 16 points at New Mexico State on Nov. 23. His Sun Belt debut was equally as strong as he scored all 13 of his points in the second half against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 29. Most recently, he raised his career high again, scoring 17 points at McNeese State on Dec. 8. For the year, Wronkoski is third in the Sun Belt in three-point shooting (15-34, .441) and 11th in free throw percentage (24-31, .774).
MORE MOORE: Junior forward Elridge Moore has quickly earned a place for himself in the lineup, starting 11 of the 12 games and averaging 5.1 points. He is second on the team in both steals (15) and blocks (7) and is fourth in rebounding (3.8). He made his Cajuns debut a memorable one against Oakland on Nov. 11, sharing the team scoring lead with 15 points while adding five rebounds, five steals and a pair of blocks. Moore, who played one season at Nicholls State before transferring to Lamar State last season, missed just two shots in the game, going six-for-seven from the field and three-for-four from the line.
NEXT UP: After a short break for the Christmas holiday, the Cajuns resume Sun Belt play at Arkansas State on Thursday, Dec. 27 before returning home to host UALR on Saturday, Dec. 29.
Complete Release (PDF)
Game 13
Duquesne (6-5) at Louisiana (4-8)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m. CST
Site: Cajundome (11,550), Lafayette, Louisiana
Radio: KPEL (1420 AM) & KHXT (107.9 FM) (Ian Auzenne)
TV: None Live, Streaming available on the internet via RaginCajuns.com.
Series: Duquesne Leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Duquesne 84, UL 65 (11/26/11, Pittsburgh, Pa.)
THE COACHES:
LOUISIANA
BOB MARLIN (Mississippi State '81)
At Louisiana: 34-39 (3rd year)
4-Year Overall: 259-170 (15th year)
All Collegiate: 382-205 (20th year)
vs. Duquesne: 0-1
DUQUESNE
JIM FERRY (Keene State '90)
At DU: 6-5 (1st year)
Overall: 260-173 (15th year)
vs. Louisiana: 0-0
SETTING THE SCENE: The Cajuns close out the 11-game non-conference schedule when Louisiana hosts Duquesne on Saturday, Dec. 22 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Cajundome. It is the final game before the holiday break with tickets being available for $5 through a partnership between Louisiana Athletics and the United Way of Acadiana. The Cajuns dropped a 66-61 decision to Robert Morris on Tuesday to slip to 4-8 on the year, including a 3-2 record at home. Duquesne carried a 6-5 record into Wednesday's home game against Western Michigan. This will be the longest road trip of the year for the Dukes, who are 1-4 away from home this season, including losses at Georgetown (61-55), Pittsburgh (66-45), Robert Morris (91-69) and Albany (69-66). This is the second meeting between UL and Duquesne with the Dukes claiming an 84-65 decision in Pittsburgh on Nov. 26, 2011.
PREVIEWING LOUISIANA: With a lineup featuring six freshmen and four sophomores, third year head coach Bob Marlin is excited about the possibilities for the 2012-13 season, knowing that the team that took the court in November will grow and improve all season. As the new faces get acclimated to the collegiate game, the Cajuns have leaned heavily on junior Bryant Mbamalu (11.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and sophomore sensation Elfrid Payton (13.7, 6.4, 5.0). Guard Alan-Michael Thompson (4.7 ppg), the lone senior on the squad, should also play an increased role this year. Freshman forward Shawn Long (16.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg), a transfer from Mississippi State, and power forward Elridge Moore (5.1, 3.8), a JC transfer from Lamar State, will unite to form the nucleus of the inside game with freshman Cornell Barnett and walk-on Braylan Lazare providing the depth inside. Although Payton, Mbamalu and Thompson will provide the athleticism, quickness and leadership, the freshmen duo of Kasey Shepherd (2.5) and Steven Wronkoski (8.4, 3.2) and Josh Soto (1.5) will also contribute, giving Louisiana one of the deepest backcourts in the Sun Belt. Marlin wants to utilize the depth and quickness by forcing an up-tempo game at both ends of the court by applying more defensive pressure. Look for the Cajuns to use their quickness and outside shooting ability to create a balanced offense, forcing opponents to cover the entire court.
UL ATHLETICS TEAMS WITH THE UNITED WAY: The Louisiana Athletics Department and United Way of Acadiana are partnering to share ticket revenue and spread holiday cheer for the men's basketball game with Duquesne on Saturday (Dec. 22) at the Cajundome. All tickets to the game are available (100, 200 and 300 level) for a special discounted price of $5. The proceeds of the tickets sales will be split, benefitting both the United Way of Acadiana and Ragin' Cajuns Athletics. Acadiana area companies are encouraged to purchase tickets and donate them to the United Way, which will then distribute them to various youth and family groups under their umbrella.
MOSS LEAVES PROGRAM: Freshman Matt Moss, who scored 11 points in the first eight games this year, has left the Ragin' Cajuns basketball program and intends to transfer to another university. A 6-9, 212-pound forward from Anacoco, La., Moss joined the program this fall after playing last year at Charis Prep in Wilson, N.C.
LONG TRIES TO EQUAL FRESHMAN SCORING FEAT: With a 16.7 scoring average through 12 games and a three-point per game average ahead of second leading scorer Elfrid Payton (13.7 ppg), freshman Shawn Long is on pace to become just the fifth freshman to lead the team in scoring. He would join Tim Thompson (14.2 ppg in 1957-58), Jerry Flake (17.6, 1965-66), Andrew Toney (21.0, 1976-77) and Chris Gradnigo (9.6, 2007-08).
. . . AND A SCORING, REBOUNDS & BLOCKS ACCOMPLISHMENT: Shawn Long's impact is more than just being a scorer. Ranking third in the Sun Belt in rebounding (9.3), fourth in blocks (1.9) and fifth in scoring (16.7), Long is on a pace to become just the third player in school history to lead the team in all three stat categories in a single season. Tyren Johnson was the most recent, averaging 17.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 2009-10. Reginald Poole is the other to accomplish it, doing it in both 1996-97 (16.0, 10.3, 1.7) and 1998-99 (14.7, 7.1, 0.9).
FINISHING OUT THE CONTRACTS: The Cajuns are in the midst of a three-game stretch against opponents in which they have two-year contracts with. The game at Houston on Saturday (Dec. 15) was the first game in a two-year deal with the Cougars slated to visit UL next year. Tuesday's game against Robert Morris (Dec. 18) and Saturday's showdown with Duquesne (Dec. 22), a pair of schools from the Pittsburgh area, close out two-year deals the Cajuns started with road games last year.
THE FIRST ONE'S OUT OF THE WAY: Freshman Josh Soto has recorded several firsts over the last week. In the Dec. 11 win over Lamar, he landed his first career field goal make, a trey at the 3:38 mark of the first half. In Saturday's game at Houston (Dec. 15), Soto connected on his first two career three-pointers as part of a career-high six point night. He came back on Tuesday (Dec. 18) to make his first career start vs. Robert Morris.
SUPPORTING CAST DELIVERS: The Louisiana bench had a productive night vs. Lamar on Dec. 11, totalling 30 points with 21 coming in the first half. The performance ended a string of three straight single-digit showings by the bench which had been outscored 75-13 during the slump. The Lamar production was a season-best effort by the Cajuns bench and continued a season-long trend. In the four Cajun wins, the Louisiana bench is averaging 21.0 ppg. The bench has produced just 77 points in the eight losses (9.6 ppg).
HOME COOKING: With Louisiana in the middle of a stretch that has them playing three of four games at home, the Cajuns are looking forward to an extended stretch in the Cajundome. Louisiana is 3-2 at home this year, but had yet to play consecutive home games until this week. Tuesday's loss to Robert Morris dropped Bob Marlin's record at the Cajundome to 23-11 (.676). In 15 seasons as a Division I head coach, Marlin sports a home record of 158-38 (.806).
CHASING A TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Sophomore Elfrid Payton continues to inch closer and closer to recording the first triple-double by a Ragin' Cajuns player in almost a decade. Payton closed the 2011-12 season with a 13-point, eight-rebound and nine-assist game in the opening round of the Sun Belt Championship. He toyed with the stat in the season opener against Oakland (14 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists), SUNO (11,7 , 7) and on Dec. 1 at North Texas (14, 6, 9) and went a different route at Michigan State (Nov. 25), scoring 20 points with six rebounds and a career-high seven steals. He came the closest yet in the last two weeks. He scored 17 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists at McNeese State (Dec. 8) and came back with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five steals vs. Lamar (Dec. 11). For the record, the last triple-double by a Ragin' Cajuns player came on Jan. 5, 2006 when Michael Southall scored 19 points with 12 rebounds and 11 blocks at North Texas.
. . . BUT PAYTON MUST WALK BEFORE HE RUNS: Although Elfrid Payton has flirted with a triple-double, it took him until the McNeese State game on Dec. 8 to record his first career double-double. Payton scored 17 points with 10 rebounds in the contest. It only took him three days to get the second, scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds vs. Lamar on Dec. 11.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CHARITY: Bob Marlin said during the preseason that one area in which Louisiana would definitely show improvement is at the foul line, where the Cajuns shot just .631 (483-766) last year. So far, that prediction has come true as Louisiana has shot 70-percent or better from the line in seven of the 12 games. A season-low eight-for-17 effort vs. Robert Morris on Tuesday dropped Louisiana under the .700 mark for the year and the Cajuns enter the Duquesne game having gone 158-for-229 (.690). The last time that the Cajuns shot above 70-percent for an entire season came 20 seasons ago (1993-94) when they went 463-for-647 (.716).
. . . AND THE FRESHMEN LEAD THE WAY: The simplest way to improve a team's free throw shooting is to simply get better shooters and Bob Marlin has apparently done that. The five freshman on the Louisiana roster have made 61 of their 80 free throws this year (.763). Shawn Long (29-38, .763) and Steven Wronkoski (24-31, .767) lead the way, ranking ninth and 11th in the Sun Belt, respectively.
CAJUNS BENEFIT FROM LATE FREE THROW SHOOTING: The free throw shooting by the Cajuns has been at its best late in the game as Louisiana has gone 51-for-67 (.761) from the line in the final 5:00 minutes and overtime. Shawn Long (8-8) and Steven Wronkoski (6-6) lead the team while Bryant Mbamalu, a career .757 shooter (28-37), is seven-for-eight this year (.875). That is a considerable improvement from the .617 (121-196) that the Cajuns shot during the 2011-12 season.
MISTER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?: Elfrid Payton has shown his continued development as the Cajuns' point guard by handing out 60 assists this year to lead the Sun Belt averaging 5.0 assists per game. He matched his career high with nine assists at North Texas on Dec. 1, a career high originally set against North Texas in the Sun Belt Championship last year.
. . . AND GRAND THEFT FOR PAYTON: With 24 steals over the last seven games, Elfrid Payton has taken over the Sun Belt lead with 32 steals this season (2.7 spg). Payton had a career high seven steals at Michigan State on Nov. 25, falling one steal short of the school record, and came back to make four steals vs. Middle Tennessee. Last year, Payton lead the Cajuns with 37 steals.
IT WAS A LONG TIME COMING: The exhibition win over Loyola-New Orleans marked the Cajuns debut for forward Shawn Long. Long transferred to Louisiana last December after spending the fall semester at Mississippi State. The 6-9 native of Morgan City, La. practiced with the Cajuns during the final three months of the year but was not eligible to play. During the summer, he was granted a waiver of transfer rule that would have made him ineligible until early December, allowing him to play immediately. Eager to make up for the lost season, Long scored 11 of UL's first 18 points against Loyola, finishing the night with 17 points and a game-high eight rebounds, going seven-for-11 from the field with a pair of blocks.
. . . AND LONG HASN'T SLOWED: Shawn Long's steady play has allowed the freshman to lead the Cajuns in scoring (16.7), rebounding (9.3) and blocks (1.9), shooting .500 from the field (80-160) and .763 from the line (29-38). He ranks third in the league in rebounding, fourth in blocks and fifth in scoring. He has six double-doubles and four 20-point games. He had a career-high 27 points in the win at North Texas (Dec. 1) and added 17 points anda c areer-high 17 rebounds at McNeese State (Dec. 8) the following week.
GOING OVERTIME: The loss to Texas Southern on Nov. 16 marked the ninth time that the Cajuns have played to overtime under head coach Bob Marlin. Louisiana is now 6-3 in overtime games during that span, including a 4-1 record last season.
LONG IS DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE: A 12-point, 13-rebound effort against Robert Morris on Tuesday (Dec. 18) gave redshirt freshman forward Shawn Long his sixth double-double in 12 games to lead the Sun Belt. South Alabama's Augustine Rubit is second with five double-doubles.
. . . AND LONG SCORES THE BASKETBALL: Although it is still very early in the season, Shawn Long's four 20-point games has put the redshirt freshman on pace to record the most 20-plus point performances by a Cajun since former Sun Belt Player of the Year Tyren Johnson accomplished it 12 times in 2009-10.
WRONKOSKI PROVES MARLIN RIGHT: Bob Marlin has said many times this fall that when he took over as head coach two years ago, one of the first recruits he looked at was Steven Wronkoski, deciding that the current UL freshman's spirited play would be perfect in a Cajun uniform. Wronkoski has yet to prove Marlin wrong, averaging 8.4 points and 3.2 rebounds this year. He posted back-to-back career highs of 12 points vs. SUNO on Nov. 21 and, in his first career start, 16 points at New Mexico State on Nov. 23. His Sun Belt debut was equally as strong as he scored all 13 of his points in the second half against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 29. Most recently, he raised his career high again, scoring 17 points at McNeese State on Dec. 8. For the year, Wronkoski is third in the Sun Belt in three-point shooting (15-34, .441) and 11th in free throw percentage (24-31, .774).
MORE MOORE: Junior forward Elridge Moore has quickly earned a place for himself in the lineup, starting 11 of the 12 games and averaging 5.1 points. He is second on the team in both steals (15) and blocks (7) and is fourth in rebounding (3.8). He made his Cajuns debut a memorable one against Oakland on Nov. 11, sharing the team scoring lead with 15 points while adding five rebounds, five steals and a pair of blocks. Moore, who played one season at Nicholls State before transferring to Lamar State last season, missed just two shots in the game, going six-for-seven from the field and three-for-four from the line.
NEXT UP: After a short break for the Christmas holiday, the Cajuns resume Sun Belt play at Arkansas State on Thursday, Dec. 27 before returning home to host UALR on Saturday, Dec. 29.
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