Louisiana and UALR Battle For Sun Belt West Lead at Cajundome

Game Notes

GAME CENTER
Date: Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012
Location: Lafayette, La.
Opponent: UALR (11-13, 8-2 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-UALR SERIES
The Series: Louisiana leads 21-15
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads 12-4
In Cajundome: Louisiana leads 11-4
Series Streak: Louisiana - won 2
Last Meeting: Louisiana 68, UALR 49 (Jack Stephens Center - Little Rock, Ark. // Jan. 19, 2012)
Noteworthy: The Cajuns have won the last two series meetings, overall, and with a win Thursday would pick up a third straight win over the Trojans marking the longest win streak in the series since claiming four straight from the 2001-02 through 2003-04 season.

LOUISIANA
11-12 Record____________________     14-11
11-12 Sun Belt Record____________        8-3
Last Game______________________      Feb. 4, 2012
                                                                             at Troy W, 83-78
Head Coach____________________        Bob Marlin
   UL Record____________________        28-26 (2^nd Season)
   Career Record_________________       376-192 (19^th Season)
   Marlin vs. UALR_______________          2-1
Web Site_______________________     www.RaginCajuns.com

UALR
11-12 Record____________________     11-13
11-12 Sun Belt Record____________        8-2
Last Game______________________      Feb. 4, 2012
                                                                             vs. La.-Monroe W, 70-66
Head Coach____________________        Steve Shields
   UALR Record__________________       143-125 (9^th Season)
   Career Record_________________       219-175 (13^th Season)
   Shields vs. UL_________________         8-5
Web Site_______________________     www.UALRTrojans.com

Game Night Story Lines
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team hosts UALR Thursday night at the Cajundome with the top spot in the Sun Belt West division up for grabs. Louisiana enters the game trailing UALR by a half game in the standings.
>>> Louisiana downed UALR 68-49 in Little Rock in the season's first meeting after holding the Trojans to a season-low 25.4 percent shooting.
>>> The Cajuns are coming off their second straight 2-0 week in Sun Belt play following an overtime home win over Denver last Thursday and road win at Troy last Saturday. The results increased the Cajuns current win streak to a season-best four games.
>>> The UALR contest marks the beginning of the second round of divisional play in the Sun Belt West – all five games remaining are against SBC West foes. UL went 4-1 in the first round of divisional play.
>>> Louisiana is 8-3 in Sun Belt Conference action, the best mark through 11 league games since the 2004-05 season (9-2 through nine SBC games that season). The 2004-05 season also happens to be the last time UL advanced to postseason play (2005 NCAA Tournament vs. Louisville in Nashville).
>>> In Sun Belt play, Josh Brown is averaging a team-best 12.9 points and team-best 8.0 rebounds per game.
>>> UL has held the opposition to 70 points or less in regulation 12 of the last 15 games.
>>> UL leads the Sun Belt averaging 42.0 rebounds per game in conference play. The Cajuns have collected 40-plus rebounds the last four games and have reached 40-plus in nine of 11 SBC games this season.
>>> In SBC play, the Cajuns have held opponents to 38.2% shooting including a meager 27.4% (46-of-168) from 3-point range. UL ranks second in the league behind only Middle Tennessee (37.4%) in field goal percentage defense in conference play.
>>> The Cajuns have shot 40 percent or higher in 18 of 25 contests.

NO PLACE LIKE THE 'DOME
>>> The Cajuns have already locked up nine 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 29-10 record at the Cajundome since the 2009-10 season which includes an impressive 20-2 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 and are 2-0 so far this season.
>>> Last SBC West division loss at the 'Dome came Jan. 15, 2009 vs. UALR (lost 79-71 in OT).
>>> The Cajuns bring a 15-game winning streak over SBC West foes at the Cajundome into Thursday's battle with UALR.

ON TARGET
>>> Bob Marlin-coached teams have won a division title each of the past three seasons. Louisiana enters Thursday's play a half game behind SBC West leader UALR.

TAMING THE SUN BELT
>>> The Ragin' Cajuns are 19-8 in Sun Belt action under the direction of Bob Marlin.
>>> Marlin's current SBC win percentage of .704 ranks eighth (8^th) all-time in SBC history.

WINNING THE IMPORTANT ONES
>>> Head-to-head matchups with Sun Belt West division will play a key factor in the race for the division title. Louisiana finished the first round of division play with a 4-1 mark.

BROWN CLIMBING THE CHARTS
>>> Josh Brown's strong rebounding effort in Sun Belt games (8.0 rpg) has vaulted him into the Top 5 in the Sun Belt in rebounds per game. Averaging 6.7 rebounds per game for the season, Brown is currently fifth in the league.

BROWN DOES DELIVER
>>> Josh Brown recorded a double-double in both games last week with 21 points and 10 rebounds vs. Denver and 12 points and 11 rebounds at Troy.

LAST TIME VS. UALR (Jan. 19, 2012 – UL won 68-49 in Little Rock)
>>> The Cajuns held UALR to 25.4 percent shooting for the game and made a double-digit halftime lead stand in handing the Trojans their first SBC loss of the season.
>>> The Cajuns shot above 50 percent the entire opening stanza, finishing at 55.6 percent and built a 38-22 halftime advantage.
>>> Closest UALR got in the second half was 12 points at 59-47 with 3:27 remaining. J.J. Thomas hit a hook shot at 3:10 and followed up a UALR miss with a triple at 2:31 to stretch the lead to 64-47 and put the Trojans away.

BALANCED EFFORT
>>> Seven different players have already scored 100-plus for the Cajuns this season.
>>> UL had a different leading scorer each of the six games prior to the Denver matchup.
>>> Louisiana has seven different players averaging at least six points per game.
>>> 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 (38.2%) and leads the league in defensive rebounds (28.5 drpg), 3-point field goal percentage defense (27.4%), total rebounds (42.0 rpg), and blocked shots (5.2 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).

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 26.6 to 22.5.

SERIES HISTORY (Louisiana leads 21-15, overall; Louisiana leads 11-4 in Cajundome)
>>> Louisiana goes for its first season sweep of UALR since the 1999-2000 season. Two schools were in opposite divisions of the Sun Belt Conference from 2000-01 through 2005-06.
>>> In the Steve Shields era, UALR has won eight of the 13 meetings.
>>> UL has won the last two meetings at the Cajundome. Thursday's game marks the 16^th meeting all-time at the Cajundome.
>>> The Cajuns have won the last two series meetings, overall, and with a win Thursday would pick up a third straight win over the Trojans marking the longest win streak in the series since claiming four straight from the 2001-02 through 2003-04 season.
>>> UL won eight of 10 meetings from 1998-99 through 2005-06 to lay claim to a commanding 18-8 series lead. UALR has won seven of the last 10 meetings, cutting the series lead to 21-15.
>>> The first-ever meeting took place on Jan. 4, 1978 at Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette. The series became a regular one when both programs joined the Sun Belt in time for the 1991-92 season.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
>>> Louisiana wraps up a two-game homestand on Saturday hosting Arkansas State
>>> UL seeks to avenge a 79-74 loss to Arkansas State back on Jan. 21 in Jonesboro. That night ASU used a 41-31 advantage in rebounds to produce 22 second-chance points.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Louisiana and UALR Battle For Sun Belt West Lead at Cajundome

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