University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, January 12
Lafayette
7:15 PM
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
vs
Arkansas State
Cajuns Continue Homestand vs. Arkansas State On Saturday
1/11/2013 2:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Contact: Brian McCann
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Game 19
Arkansas State (10-6, 4-3) at Louisiana (6-12, 2-5)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013
Time: 7:15 p.m. CST
Site: Cajundome (11,550), Lafayette, Louisiana
Radio: KPEL (1420 AM) & KHXT (107.9 FM) (Jay Walker)
TV: None Live, Streaming available on the internet via RaginCajuns.com.
Series: Louisiana Leads, 43-23
Last Meeting: Arkansas State 87, UL 70 (12/27/12, Jonesboro, Ark.)
THE COACHES:
LOUISIANA
BOB MARLIN (Mississippi State '81)
At Louisiana: 36-43 (3rd year)
4-Year Overall: 261-174 (15th year)
All Collegiate: 384-209 (20th year)
vs. Arkansas State: 3-4
ARKANSAS STATE
JOHN BRADY (Bellhaven '76)
At ASU: 71-72 (5th year)
Overall: 352-288 (22nd year)
vs. Louisiana: 7-5
SETTING THE SCENE: After dropping a heart-breaking 91-89 double overtime decision to South Alabama on Thursday, the Ragin' Cajuns close out the abbreviated homestand when they host Arkansas State on Saturday, Jan. 12 beginning at approximately 7:15 p.m. in the Cajundome. The game will serve as the annual “Take A Kid To A Game Day” with children under age 12 being admitted free when accompanied by an adult. It is also part of a doubleheader with the Louisiana women's basketball team facing ASU starting at 5:00 p.m. Louisiana (6-12, 2-5) has dropped all three games in the new year, losing by a combined 12 points. Arkansas State (10-6, 4-3) had its four-game win streak snapped when it lost a 66-64 contest to FIU on Thursday, a win streak that began when they claimed an 87-70 win over the Cajuns on Dec. 27. This will be the 67th meeting between Louisiana and Arkansas State with the Cajuns owning a 43-23 series lead overall, including a 24-8 record in games played in Lafayette.
PREVIEWING LOUISIANA: With a lineup featuring five 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 (14.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and sophomore sensation Elfrid Payton (14.8, 6.2, 5.3). Guard Alan-Michael Thompson (5.8 ppg), the lone senior on the squad, is also playing an increased role this year. Freshman forward Shawn Long (15.7 ppg, 9.5 rpg), a transfer from Mississippi State, and power forward Elridge Moore (5.3, 3.8), a JC transfer from Lamar State, 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 provide the athleticism, quickness and leadership, the freshmen trio of Steven Wronkoski (7.0, 3.1), Kasey Shepherd (3.2) and Josh Soto (3.9) also contribute, giving Louisiana a deep backcourt. Marlin is utilizing 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.
CAJUNS IN THE NCAA STATS: The Cajuns received several mentions in the NCAA basketball statistics, which were released on Friday (Jan. 11) and include games through Jan. 10. Individually, Shawn Long ranked sixth nationally in double-doubles (9), 30th in rebounds (9.5) and 50th in blocks (2.1) while Elfrid Payton is 26th in steals (2.3) and 45th in assists (5.3).
HAVEN'T WE DONE THIS ALREADY: The Arkansas State game marks the first game of the second round of games in Sun Belt play, even though the Cajuns haven't finished playing all nine league opponents the first time yet. Louisiana faced Arkansas State for the first time 16 days ago (Dec. 27). Saturday's second meeting comes before the Cajuns play either Western Kentucky (Jan. 17),Troy (Feb. 2) and UL-Monroe (Feb. 10) a first time. In fact, by the time Louisiana meets the Warhawks for the first time on Feb. 10, the Cajuns will be done playing four of their nine league opponents.
GOING (DOUBLE) OVERTIME: The South Alabama game marked the first multiple overtime game since a 63-62 double overtime win over Denver on Jan. 3, 2009. It was the 10th time that the Cajuns have played to overtime under head coach Bob Marlin (and second this year). Louisiana is now 6-4 in overtime games during that span, including a 4-1 record last season and an 0-2 mark this year.
PAYTON & MBAMALU EYE 500 POINT MARK: After reaching the 50-game milestone for their Cajuns careers on Thursday night, Elfrid Payton and Bryant Mbamalu head into Saturday's game within reach of the 500-point mark. Payton's career-high 26 points on Thursday gives him 496 for his career (9.9 ppg) while Mbamalu has scored 485 points. Mbamalu has started 43 of this 50 career games while Payton has started 29 times. The duo are even closer in minutes played with Mbamalu playing 1,359 minutes and Payton 1,353.
THE MBAM HAS GONE OFF: There is no hotter player in the Sun Belt than junior Bryant Mbamalu, who has scored 17 or more points in six of the last seven games. Mbamalu started the run with a 21-point effort against Robert Morris on Dec. 18 and then followed it up with 22 points vs. Duquesne on Dec. 22. After a season low four points at Arkansas State on Dec. 27, he came back to score a season-high 26 vs. UALR on Dec. 29. He had 17 points at Florida Atlantic and 23 at FIU last week and 17 vs. South Alabama on Thursday. Over the last seven games, Mbamalu is averaging 18.9 points a game, shooting .583 from the field (49-84) and .500 from three-point (18-36). Those are considerably improved numbers over the .423 he shot from the field (41-97) and .340 from three-point (16-47) over the first 11 games.
LONG RANKS AMONG THE NATION'S TOP FRESHMEN: A closer look at the recent NCAA stats shows that Shawn Long ranks among the top freshmen in the nation this year. Long ranks third nationally in rebounding among freshmen, trailing only Binghamton's Jordan Reed (9.8 rpg) and Longwood's Michael Kessens (9.6), and he was sixth among freshmen in blocked shots and 11th in scoring.
. . . AND LONG IS DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE: A 14-point, 14-rebound effort against South Alabama on Thursday gave redshirt freshman forward Shawn Long his ninth double-double in 18 games to move into sixth place nationally. Siena senior O.D. Anosike leads the nation with 11 double-doubles with Notre Dame's Jack Cooley, Bucknell's Mike Muscala and Delaware's Jamelle Hagins being tied for second with 10 double-doubles.
THE SCORING TRIO: The Cajun trio of freshman Shawn Long (15.7 ppg), sophomore Elfrid Payton (14.8) and junior Bryant Mbamalu (14.0) have led the Louisiana offense, combining to score 62-percent of the points this season (801 of 1291). Together, they have reached double figures 44 of the possible 54 times this year, including 13 games of 20-points or more. Thursday's game vs. South Alabama was no different as the trio tallied 59 points, their third-highest total this season. They previously scored a season-best 62 points at Florida Atlantic on Jan. 3 when Payton scored 23, Mbamalu 22 and Long 17 and 60 points at North Texas on Dec. 1. The trio has totaled 50 points or more five times this year.
PAYTON IS CHASING A TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Sophomore Elfrid Payton's quest for the first triple-double by a Cajun in almost a decade came one rebound short at FIU on Saturday (Jan. 5), scoring 13 points with a career-high 10 assists and a career-high matching nine rebounds against the Golden Panthers. This was not the first time that Payton came close. He 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 posted 17 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists at McNeese State (Dec. 8). 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 in his 41st career game to record the first of his three career double-doubles. 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.
PAYTON PASSES STEAL TOTAL: Sophomore Elfrid Payton recorded three steals against South Alabama on Thursday, giving him 40 steals in 19 games this year to lead the Sun Belt and ranks 26th nationally averaging 2.3 steals a game. Payton, who had 37 steals in 32 games last year, 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.
ENJOYING A SWEEP: Saturday's games will be the first doublheader since the the Cajuns men's and women's team swept UALR on Dec. 29, the men claiming a 79-70 win and the women earning a 56-54 double-overtime victory over a Trojan team that was 10-1 going into the game, marking the first sweep of a home doubleheader by Louisiana since the end of the 2009-10 season, a span of 12 twinbills. The Cajuns men's team has fared well in home doubleheaders under head coach Bob Marlin, owning a 9-2 record at home (5-5 on the road).
THOMPSON FINDS HIS ROLE: After starting out the season slowly, senior Alan-Michael Thompson has found his niche by providing the Cajuns with an offensive spark off the bench. Prior to Thursday night's game, in which he left early with a sprained ankle, Thompson averaged 10.5 points over the previous four games, scoring in double figures three times. He shot .500 from the floor (13-26) and .350 from three-point (7-20) during that span.
SUPPORTING CAST THE DIFFERENCE: The Louisiana bench has proven to be an important factor in determining sucess on the court this year. The Cajun bench has scored 20 points or more five times this year with UL going 4-1 in those games. In the six Cajun wins, the reserves have totalled 122 points (20.3 ppg). At the other end of the spectrum, the bench has produced 164 points in the 12 losses (13.7 ppg), including seven points against Florida Atlantic on Jan. 3 and nine vs. South Alabama on Thursday.
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 10 of the 18 games. The Cajuns enter the ASU game having gone 239-for-353 (.677) from the line. 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 four freshman currently on the Louisiana roster have made 87 of their 118 free throws this year (.737). Steven Wronkoski (29-39, .744) and Shawn Long (45-60, .750) lead the way.
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 89-for-116 (.767) from the line in the final 5:00 minutes and overtime. Shawn Long (13-14, Alan-Michael Thompsom (11-12) and Steven Wronkoski (11-14) lead the team while Bryant Mbamalu, a career .761 shooter (35-46), is 14-for-17 this year (.824). That is a considerable improvement from the .617 (121-196) that the Cajuns shot during the 2011-12 season.
. . . FREE THROWS KEY WIN OVER UALR: Clutch free throw shooting was a key in the Dec. 29 win over UALR as the Cajuns went 11-for-13 from the line in the final 2:03 of the game to deny the Trojans an opportunity to come back. After missing their first two attempts, Louisiana shooters knocked down their next 11 to finish the game. The game took a similar path on Dec. 1 at North Texas when the Cajuns went 11-for-14 (.786) from the stripe in the final 5:00, including seven-for-eight (.875) in the final 15 seconds to secure an 80-76 win.
MASTERING THE SUN BELT: Ragin' Cajuns head coach Bob Marlin has produced back-to-back double digit win totals in Sun Belt play in his first two seasons on Louisiana's bench (11 in 2010-11 and 10 in 2011-12). His SBC winning percentage of .590 (23-16) is second amongst all active coaches.
LONG TRIES TO EQUAL FRESHMAN SCORING FEAT: With a 15.7 scoring average through 18 games and 0.9 points per game average ahead of second leading scorer Elfrid Payton (14.8 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 second in the Sun Belt in rebounding (9.5) and fourth in both scoring (15.7) and blocks (2.1), 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).
MISTER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?: Elfrid Payton has shown his continued development as the Cajuns' point guard by handing out 95 assists this year to lead the Sun Belt averaging 5.3 assists per game. He set a career high with 10 assists at FIU on Jan. 5 and previously had nine assists at North Texas on Dec. 1 and against North Texas in the Sun Belt Championship last year.
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 (15.7), rebounding (9.5) and blocks (2.1), shooting .478 from the field (110-230) and .750 from the line (45-60). He ranks second in the league in rebounding, fourth in both scoring and blocks, eighth in free throw percentage and 12th in field goal percentage. He has nine double-doubles and six 20-point games. He had a career-high 27 points in the win at North Texas (Dec. 1) and added 17 points and a career-high 17 rebounds at McNeese State (Dec. 8) the following week.
. . . AND LONG SCORES THE BASKETBALL: With the second half of the basketball season underway (UL has played 18 of at least 32 games), Shawn Long's six 20-point games remains on a 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.
MARLIN EARNS EXTENSION: Third-year head coach Bob Marlin was given a new five-year contract on Dec. 4 that will keep him on the Cajuns' sidelines through the 2016-17 season. In his first two seasons, Marlin's teams have won 21 Sun Belt games, the second-highest total in the league over that span, and his .656 winning percentage in league games is the highest among active Sun Belt coaches.
CAJUNS ADD TWO FOR 2013-14: Hours before the Cajuns tipped off with Texas Southern on Nov. 16, head coach Bob Marlin announced the signing of high school standouts Kimani Jackson (Arlington, TX/Seguin) and Hayward Register (Lafayette, La./Comeaux) to National Letters of Intent to attend Louisiana and play basketball starting next fall. Jackson, a 6-7, 220-pound forward, was a pre-season all-league selection this year. Ranked as the No. 88 player in the State of Texas by TexasHoops.com, he is averaging 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists and 1.8 blocks this season at Arlington's Seguin High. Register, a 6-2, 170-pound shooting guard, earned second team all-state honors a year ago after averaging 20.1 points and 5.6 rebounds a game, helping Comeaux High to a 23-11 record. He was named the 2011-12 All-Acadiana MVP by the Lafayette Daily Advertiser. “This is a very good start to our recruiting effort for the year. They both should fit into our system well” Louisiana head coach Bob Marlin said.
RAGIN' CAJUNS CELEBRATE 100TH SEASON: The Cajuns are celebrating the 100th season of basketball during the 2012-13 season. The first season was in 1911-12 when the Cajuns posted a 4-1 record. Louisiana has gone on to win 20 or more games 21 times since, entering the year with a 1,296-984 overall record. Louisiana did not have a team in either 1973-74 or 1974-75 because of NCAA sanctions. In the first 99 seasons, the Cajuns have advanced to postseason play 18 times, including 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, winning 16 conference titles. Eight UL players have earned All-America honors with 94 being named all-conference.
NEXT UP: The Cajuns head back out onto the road for a two-game swing through Kentucky and Tennessee. Louisiana plays at WKU on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 7:00 p.m. CST in Diddle Arena. The trip then heads to Murfreesboro, Tenn. for a meeting with Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 5:30 p.m.
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Game 19
Arkansas State (10-6, 4-3) at Louisiana (6-12, 2-5)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013
Time: 7:15 p.m. CST
Site: Cajundome (11,550), Lafayette, Louisiana
Radio: KPEL (1420 AM) & KHXT (107.9 FM) (Jay Walker)
TV: None Live, Streaming available on the internet via RaginCajuns.com.
Series: Louisiana Leads, 43-23
Last Meeting: Arkansas State 87, UL 70 (12/27/12, Jonesboro, Ark.)
THE COACHES:
LOUISIANA
BOB MARLIN (Mississippi State '81)
At Louisiana: 36-43 (3rd year)
4-Year Overall: 261-174 (15th year)
All Collegiate: 384-209 (20th year)
vs. Arkansas State: 3-4
ARKANSAS STATE
JOHN BRADY (Bellhaven '76)
At ASU: 71-72 (5th year)
Overall: 352-288 (22nd year)
vs. Louisiana: 7-5
SETTING THE SCENE: After dropping a heart-breaking 91-89 double overtime decision to South Alabama on Thursday, the Ragin' Cajuns close out the abbreviated homestand when they host Arkansas State on Saturday, Jan. 12 beginning at approximately 7:15 p.m. in the Cajundome. The game will serve as the annual “Take A Kid To A Game Day” with children under age 12 being admitted free when accompanied by an adult. It is also part of a doubleheader with the Louisiana women's basketball team facing ASU starting at 5:00 p.m. Louisiana (6-12, 2-5) has dropped all three games in the new year, losing by a combined 12 points. Arkansas State (10-6, 4-3) had its four-game win streak snapped when it lost a 66-64 contest to FIU on Thursday, a win streak that began when they claimed an 87-70 win over the Cajuns on Dec. 27. This will be the 67th meeting between Louisiana and Arkansas State with the Cajuns owning a 43-23 series lead overall, including a 24-8 record in games played in Lafayette.
PREVIEWING LOUISIANA: With a lineup featuring five 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 (14.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and sophomore sensation Elfrid Payton (14.8, 6.2, 5.3). Guard Alan-Michael Thompson (5.8 ppg), the lone senior on the squad, is also playing an increased role this year. Freshman forward Shawn Long (15.7 ppg, 9.5 rpg), a transfer from Mississippi State, and power forward Elridge Moore (5.3, 3.8), a JC transfer from Lamar State, 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 provide the athleticism, quickness and leadership, the freshmen trio of Steven Wronkoski (7.0, 3.1), Kasey Shepherd (3.2) and Josh Soto (3.9) also contribute, giving Louisiana a deep backcourt. Marlin is utilizing 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.
CAJUNS IN THE NCAA STATS: The Cajuns received several mentions in the NCAA basketball statistics, which were released on Friday (Jan. 11) and include games through Jan. 10. Individually, Shawn Long ranked sixth nationally in double-doubles (9), 30th in rebounds (9.5) and 50th in blocks (2.1) while Elfrid Payton is 26th in steals (2.3) and 45th in assists (5.3).
HAVEN'T WE DONE THIS ALREADY: The Arkansas State game marks the first game of the second round of games in Sun Belt play, even though the Cajuns haven't finished playing all nine league opponents the first time yet. Louisiana faced Arkansas State for the first time 16 days ago (Dec. 27). Saturday's second meeting comes before the Cajuns play either Western Kentucky (Jan. 17),Troy (Feb. 2) and UL-Monroe (Feb. 10) a first time. In fact, by the time Louisiana meets the Warhawks for the first time on Feb. 10, the Cajuns will be done playing four of their nine league opponents.
GOING (DOUBLE) OVERTIME: The South Alabama game marked the first multiple overtime game since a 63-62 double overtime win over Denver on Jan. 3, 2009. It was the 10th time that the Cajuns have played to overtime under head coach Bob Marlin (and second this year). Louisiana is now 6-4 in overtime games during that span, including a 4-1 record last season and an 0-2 mark this year.
PAYTON & MBAMALU EYE 500 POINT MARK: After reaching the 50-game milestone for their Cajuns careers on Thursday night, Elfrid Payton and Bryant Mbamalu head into Saturday's game within reach of the 500-point mark. Payton's career-high 26 points on Thursday gives him 496 for his career (9.9 ppg) while Mbamalu has scored 485 points. Mbamalu has started 43 of this 50 career games while Payton has started 29 times. The duo are even closer in minutes played with Mbamalu playing 1,359 minutes and Payton 1,353.
THE MBAM HAS GONE OFF: There is no hotter player in the Sun Belt than junior Bryant Mbamalu, who has scored 17 or more points in six of the last seven games. Mbamalu started the run with a 21-point effort against Robert Morris on Dec. 18 and then followed it up with 22 points vs. Duquesne on Dec. 22. After a season low four points at Arkansas State on Dec. 27, he came back to score a season-high 26 vs. UALR on Dec. 29. He had 17 points at Florida Atlantic and 23 at FIU last week and 17 vs. South Alabama on Thursday. Over the last seven games, Mbamalu is averaging 18.9 points a game, shooting .583 from the field (49-84) and .500 from three-point (18-36). Those are considerably improved numbers over the .423 he shot from the field (41-97) and .340 from three-point (16-47) over the first 11 games.
LONG RANKS AMONG THE NATION'S TOP FRESHMEN: A closer look at the recent NCAA stats shows that Shawn Long ranks among the top freshmen in the nation this year. Long ranks third nationally in rebounding among freshmen, trailing only Binghamton's Jordan Reed (9.8 rpg) and Longwood's Michael Kessens (9.6), and he was sixth among freshmen in blocked shots and 11th in scoring.
. . . AND LONG IS DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE: A 14-point, 14-rebound effort against South Alabama on Thursday gave redshirt freshman forward Shawn Long his ninth double-double in 18 games to move into sixth place nationally. Siena senior O.D. Anosike leads the nation with 11 double-doubles with Notre Dame's Jack Cooley, Bucknell's Mike Muscala and Delaware's Jamelle Hagins being tied for second with 10 double-doubles.
THE SCORING TRIO: The Cajun trio of freshman Shawn Long (15.7 ppg), sophomore Elfrid Payton (14.8) and junior Bryant Mbamalu (14.0) have led the Louisiana offense, combining to score 62-percent of the points this season (801 of 1291). Together, they have reached double figures 44 of the possible 54 times this year, including 13 games of 20-points or more. Thursday's game vs. South Alabama was no different as the trio tallied 59 points, their third-highest total this season. They previously scored a season-best 62 points at Florida Atlantic on Jan. 3 when Payton scored 23, Mbamalu 22 and Long 17 and 60 points at North Texas on Dec. 1. The trio has totaled 50 points or more five times this year.
PAYTON IS CHASING A TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Sophomore Elfrid Payton's quest for the first triple-double by a Cajun in almost a decade came one rebound short at FIU on Saturday (Jan. 5), scoring 13 points with a career-high 10 assists and a career-high matching nine rebounds against the Golden Panthers. This was not the first time that Payton came close. He 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 posted 17 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists at McNeese State (Dec. 8). 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 in his 41st career game to record the first of his three career double-doubles. 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.
PAYTON PASSES STEAL TOTAL: Sophomore Elfrid Payton recorded three steals against South Alabama on Thursday, giving him 40 steals in 19 games this year to lead the Sun Belt and ranks 26th nationally averaging 2.3 steals a game. Payton, who had 37 steals in 32 games last year, 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.
ENJOYING A SWEEP: Saturday's games will be the first doublheader since the the Cajuns men's and women's team swept UALR on Dec. 29, the men claiming a 79-70 win and the women earning a 56-54 double-overtime victory over a Trojan team that was 10-1 going into the game, marking the first sweep of a home doubleheader by Louisiana since the end of the 2009-10 season, a span of 12 twinbills. The Cajuns men's team has fared well in home doubleheaders under head coach Bob Marlin, owning a 9-2 record at home (5-5 on the road).
THOMPSON FINDS HIS ROLE: After starting out the season slowly, senior Alan-Michael Thompson has found his niche by providing the Cajuns with an offensive spark off the bench. Prior to Thursday night's game, in which he left early with a sprained ankle, Thompson averaged 10.5 points over the previous four games, scoring in double figures three times. He shot .500 from the floor (13-26) and .350 from three-point (7-20) during that span.
SUPPORTING CAST THE DIFFERENCE: The Louisiana bench has proven to be an important factor in determining sucess on the court this year. The Cajun bench has scored 20 points or more five times this year with UL going 4-1 in those games. In the six Cajun wins, the reserves have totalled 122 points (20.3 ppg). At the other end of the spectrum, the bench has produced 164 points in the 12 losses (13.7 ppg), including seven points against Florida Atlantic on Jan. 3 and nine vs. South Alabama on Thursday.
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 10 of the 18 games. The Cajuns enter the ASU game having gone 239-for-353 (.677) from the line. 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 four freshman currently on the Louisiana roster have made 87 of their 118 free throws this year (.737). Steven Wronkoski (29-39, .744) and Shawn Long (45-60, .750) lead the way.
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 89-for-116 (.767) from the line in the final 5:00 minutes and overtime. Shawn Long (13-14, Alan-Michael Thompsom (11-12) and Steven Wronkoski (11-14) lead the team while Bryant Mbamalu, a career .761 shooter (35-46), is 14-for-17 this year (.824). That is a considerable improvement from the .617 (121-196) that the Cajuns shot during the 2011-12 season.
. . . FREE THROWS KEY WIN OVER UALR: Clutch free throw shooting was a key in the Dec. 29 win over UALR as the Cajuns went 11-for-13 from the line in the final 2:03 of the game to deny the Trojans an opportunity to come back. After missing their first two attempts, Louisiana shooters knocked down their next 11 to finish the game. The game took a similar path on Dec. 1 at North Texas when the Cajuns went 11-for-14 (.786) from the stripe in the final 5:00, including seven-for-eight (.875) in the final 15 seconds to secure an 80-76 win.
MASTERING THE SUN BELT: Ragin' Cajuns head coach Bob Marlin has produced back-to-back double digit win totals in Sun Belt play in his first two seasons on Louisiana's bench (11 in 2010-11 and 10 in 2011-12). His SBC winning percentage of .590 (23-16) is second amongst all active coaches.
LONG TRIES TO EQUAL FRESHMAN SCORING FEAT: With a 15.7 scoring average through 18 games and 0.9 points per game average ahead of second leading scorer Elfrid Payton (14.8 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 second in the Sun Belt in rebounding (9.5) and fourth in both scoring (15.7) and blocks (2.1), 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).
MISTER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?: Elfrid Payton has shown his continued development as the Cajuns' point guard by handing out 95 assists this year to lead the Sun Belt averaging 5.3 assists per game. He set a career high with 10 assists at FIU on Jan. 5 and previously had nine assists at North Texas on Dec. 1 and against North Texas in the Sun Belt Championship last year.
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 (15.7), rebounding (9.5) and blocks (2.1), shooting .478 from the field (110-230) and .750 from the line (45-60). He ranks second in the league in rebounding, fourth in both scoring and blocks, eighth in free throw percentage and 12th in field goal percentage. He has nine double-doubles and six 20-point games. He had a career-high 27 points in the win at North Texas (Dec. 1) and added 17 points and a career-high 17 rebounds at McNeese State (Dec. 8) the following week.
. . . AND LONG SCORES THE BASKETBALL: With the second half of the basketball season underway (UL has played 18 of at least 32 games), Shawn Long's six 20-point games remains on a 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.
MARLIN EARNS EXTENSION: Third-year head coach Bob Marlin was given a new five-year contract on Dec. 4 that will keep him on the Cajuns' sidelines through the 2016-17 season. In his first two seasons, Marlin's teams have won 21 Sun Belt games, the second-highest total in the league over that span, and his .656 winning percentage in league games is the highest among active Sun Belt coaches.
CAJUNS ADD TWO FOR 2013-14: Hours before the Cajuns tipped off with Texas Southern on Nov. 16, head coach Bob Marlin announced the signing of high school standouts Kimani Jackson (Arlington, TX/Seguin) and Hayward Register (Lafayette, La./Comeaux) to National Letters of Intent to attend Louisiana and play basketball starting next fall. Jackson, a 6-7, 220-pound forward, was a pre-season all-league selection this year. Ranked as the No. 88 player in the State of Texas by TexasHoops.com, he is averaging 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists and 1.8 blocks this season at Arlington's Seguin High. Register, a 6-2, 170-pound shooting guard, earned second team all-state honors a year ago after averaging 20.1 points and 5.6 rebounds a game, helping Comeaux High to a 23-11 record. He was named the 2011-12 All-Acadiana MVP by the Lafayette Daily Advertiser. “This is a very good start to our recruiting effort for the year. They both should fit into our system well” Louisiana head coach Bob Marlin said.
RAGIN' CAJUNS CELEBRATE 100TH SEASON: The Cajuns are celebrating the 100th season of basketball during the 2012-13 season. The first season was in 1911-12 when the Cajuns posted a 4-1 record. Louisiana has gone on to win 20 or more games 21 times since, entering the year with a 1,296-984 overall record. Louisiana did not have a team in either 1973-74 or 1974-75 because of NCAA sanctions. In the first 99 seasons, the Cajuns have advanced to postseason play 18 times, including 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, winning 16 conference titles. Eight UL players have earned All-America honors with 94 being named all-conference.
NEXT UP: The Cajuns head back out onto the road for a two-game swing through Kentucky and Tennessee. Louisiana plays at WKU on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 7:00 p.m. CST in Diddle Arena. The trip then heads to Murfreesboro, Tenn. for a meeting with Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 5:30 p.m.
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