Men's Hoops Begins Final Month of Regular Season Thursday vs. DU

Game Notes

GAME CENTER
Date: Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012
Location: Lafayette, La.
Opponent: Denver (16-6, 6-3 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-DENVER SERIES
The Series: Louisiana leads 18-8
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads 11-1
Series Streak: Louisiana - won 1
Last Meeting: Louisiana 58, Denver 52 (OT) (Cajundome // Feb. 24, 2011)
Noteworthy: Two schools have split the season series the past four seasons. Last season series sweep by either team came in 2006-07 when the Cajuns won both meetings that year.

LOUISIANA
11-12 Record____________________     12-11
11-12 Sun Belt Record____________       6-3
Last Game______________________     Jan. 28, 2012
                                                                             at La.-Monroe W, 67-60
Head Coach____________________       Bob Marlin
   UL Record____________________       26-26 (2^nd Season)
   Career Record_________________     374-192 (19^th Season)
   Marlin vs. Denver______________        1-1
Web Site_______________________     www.RaginCajuns.com

DENVER
11-12 Record____________________     16-6
11-12 Sun Belt Record____________        6-3
Last Game______________________     Jan. 28, 2012
                                                                              at UALR L, 57-64
Head Coach____________________        Joe Scott
   Denver Record________________         74-71 (5^th Season)
   Career Record_________________       163-179 (10^th Season)
   Scott vs. UL___________________       4-4
Web Site_______________________     www.DenverPioneers.com

Game Night Story Lines
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team begins the final month of the regular season on Thursday hosting Denver at the Cajundome. It's a matchup pitting two teams at 6-3 in Sun Belt play seeking to move within one-half game of SBC West leader UALR.
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns are coming off their first 2-0 week of the Sun Belt slate after a home win over North Texas (W, 64-62) on Wednesday and road win at La.-Monroe (W, 67-60) on Saturday.
>>> With a win, UL would equal its season-best winning streak (won three straight Dec. 21-Jan. 5).
>>> Louisiana is 6-3 in Sun Belt Conference action, the best mark through nine league games since the 2004-05 season (7-2 through nine SBC games that season).
>>> UL is currently 3-1 in the first round of division play in the Sun Belt West. The Denver game (Feb. 2) represents the finish of the first round of SBC West games. UL starts the second round of SBC West tilts on Thursday, Feb. 9 vs. UALR at the Cajundome.
>>> UL has not lost a game to a SBC West foe at the Cajundome since the 2008-09 season and carries a 14-game win streak over divisional foes in the building into the Denver game on Thursday. UALR was the last SBC West team to win at the Cajundome, posting a 79-71 overtime win on Jan. 15, 2009.
>>> The Cajuns are 11-1 all-time at the Cajundome vs. Denver and have won the last six meetings in the facility.
>>> UL leads the Sun Belt averaging 41.6 rebounds per game in conference play.
>>> In SBC play, the Cajuns have held opponents to 37.8% shooting including a meager 27.2% (37-of-136) from 3-point range. UL ranks second in the league behind only Middle Tennessee (35.8%) in field goal percentage defense in conference play.
>>> The Cajuns have shot the ball well this season, shooting 40 percent or higher in 16 of 23 contests.

NO PLACE LIKE THE 'DOME
>>> The Cajuns have already locked up eight wins in the 14-game slate at the Cajundome this season assuring the 17^th consecutive season with a .500 mark or better in the building.
>>> Including this season, the Cajuns have recorded a winning record in 25 of the 27 years since the Cajundome opened its doors in the 1985-86 season.
>>> Louisiana has turned in a 28-10 record at the Cajundome since the 2009-10 season which includes an impressive 19-2 mark against Sun Belt opponents.

FREE BASKETBALL, ANYONE?
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns and Denver Pioneers have played an overtime contest in two of the last three meetings at the Cajundome.

TAMING THE SUN BELT
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns are 17-8 in Sun Belt action under the direction of Bob Marlin.
>>> Marlin's current SBC win percentage of .680 ranks 11th all-time in SBC history.

PROTECTING THE ROCK
>>> The Cajuns' point guard tandem of Raymone Andrews and Elfrid Payton have combined to commit no more than three turnovers.
>>> At La.-Monroe, the duo committed only one turnover in 47 minutes of action.
>>> Ball security will be key as DU surrenders only 12.4 turnovers per game and has limited opponents to an average of 48 field goal attempts per game.

A WINNING MARK IN FEBRUARY
>>> Louisiana brings an overall winning record into a February contest for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

ON TARGET
>>> Bob Marlin-coached teams have won a division title each of the past three seasons. Louisiana enters the final month only one game behind SBC West leader UALR.

LAST TIME VS. DENVER IN CAJUNDOME (Feb. 24, 2011 – UL won 58-52 in OT)
>>> La'Ryan Gary scored a career-high 22 points as the Ragin' Cajuns captured a 58-52 overtime win in front of a season-high 8,066 fans.
>>> DU built up a 48-43 advantage with four minutes remaining in regulation. Over the next minute, UL knocked down a basket and connected on three straight free throws to even the score at 48-all with 3:00 showing.
>>> Gary connected on a pair of free throws to tie the game at 50-50 and force overtime.
>>> In the extra time, Gary scored seven of the Cajuns eight points. DU scored the first points of OT with a Brian Stafford field goal at 4:42, but UL posted a shutout after the bucket.

BALANCED EFFORT
>>> Seven different players have already scored 100-plus for the Cajuns this season.
>>> UL has had a different leading scorer the last six 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.

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 (37.8%) and leads the league in defensive rebounds (28.0 drpg), 3-point field goal percentage defense (27.2%), total rebounds (41.6 rpg), and blocked shots (5.7 bpg).

A CONSISTENT THREAT FROM THREE
>>> Darshawn McClellan ranks Top 10 in the SBC in three-point field goal percentage (41.5%). He leads the Cajuns with 27 made three-point field goals (27-of-65).

GETTING DEFENSIVE
>>> UL has held the opposition to 70 points or less in regulation 11 of the last 13 games. The streak dates back to the Dec. 12 contest vs. Dillard.

A SPECIAL WEAPON
>>> The UL bench has outscored the opponents bench in all but eight games this season.
>>> UL's bench has reached 30-plus points on eight different occasions which includes three times above 40 (at San Francisco, vs. Nicholls State, vs. Dillard).
>>> On average, the Cajuns bench is outscoring the opposition's bench 27.0 to 22.9.

SERIES HISTORY (Louisiana leads 18-8, overall; Louisiana leads 11-1 in Cajundome)
>>> Louisiana won the first eight series meetings before Denver upset the Ragin' Cajuns 72-68 at the 2003 Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Bowling Green, Ky.
>>> Louisiana is 11-1 all-time at the Cajundome against the Pioneers. Louisiana won the first five games at the 'Dome before Denver won 72-66 on Jan. 8, 2005.
>>> UL carries a six-game win streak over DU at the Cajundome into tonight's meeting.
>>> Two schools have split the season series the past four seasons. Last season series sweep by either team came in 2006-07 when the Cajuns won both meetings that year.
>>> Low-scoring affairs have been the theme as of late. The winning team in each of the past 11 meetings has scored no more than 67 points. UL is 7-4 vs. DU in the stretch.
>>> Eighteen (18) times in 26 meetings, UL has held the Pioneers below 70 points.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns take a break from Sun Belt West division play and travel to Troy, Ala., for a meeting with the Trojans on Saturday. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
>>> It's UL's first trip to Troy since the 2008-09 season (won 83-81 on Jan. 10, 2009).
>>> UL owns a 6-4 series lead and has won three of the last four meetings.
>>> The Cajuns are 3-2 vs. SBC East teams this season (8-3 vs. SBC East in Marlin era).

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Men's Hoops Begins Final Month of Regular Season Thursday vs. DU

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