@RaginCajunsMBB Game 12 Preview: at McNeese

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team heads west for an important non-conference matchup on Tuesday when it travels to Lake Charles to face in-state rival McNeese at the Cowboys' new H&HP Complex.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised live on Cox Sports Television (subject to blackout) with Bob Licht (PxP), Deuce McCallister (color) and Smacker Miles (sideline) on the call. The game will also be streamed live outside the CST footprint on ESPN+.

Fans can also listen to the game in the Lafayette area on KHXT-FM (107.9), ESPN 1420 AM and worldwide on RaginCajuns.com with Jay Walker (PxP) and Ross Cook (color) providing the commentary.

Louisiana (7-4) looks to rebound from an 83-62 loss to in-state rival Louisiana Tech on Saturday. Malik Marquetti led the Ragin' Cajuns with a career-high 22 points while Marcus Stroman added 19 and Jerekius Davis 11.

JaKeenan Gant, who was limited to 14 minutes due to injury against the Bulldogs and was held scoreless, leads Louisiana in scoring at 16.9 points per game while ranking third among all Division I players in total blocks (35).

Marquetti (13.5 ppg.), Stroman (12.0) and Justin Miller (10.5) each score in double figures for the Ragin' Cajuns with Stroman ranked second nationally in total assists (78).

McNeese (3-7), under first-year coach Heath Schroyer, dropped an 80-67 decision at UMKC on Saturday. The Cowboys have won their last three games in their new $40 million facility, including a 77-61 win over North Carolina Central on Dec. 13.

James Harvey leads McNeese in scoring at 13.0 points per game with UMASS grad transfer Malik Hines averaging 12.5 points. Roydell Brown, who played at Louisiana as a freshman in 2016-17, is averaging 9.2 points and a team-high 9.2 rebounds for the Cowboys.

Louisiana leads the all-time series, 58-35, and has won the last three meetings. The Cajuns claimed a 92-72 victory in the last meeting in Lake Charles – their first win on the road against the Cowboys since 2004.

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (7-4) vs. McNEESE (3-7)
Date / Time: December 18, 2018 / 6:30 p.m.
Site: Lake Charles, La.
Arena: H&HP Complex (4,200)

Radio: KHXT 107.9 FM / ESPN 1420 AM
Talent: Jay Walker (PxP); Ross Cook (color)

TV: Cox Sports Television / ESPN+
Talent: Bob Licht (PxP); Deuce McCallister (color); Smacker Miles (sideline)

Live Stats: McNeeseSports.com
Social Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB | #GeauxCajuns

SERIES RECORD
Series: Louisiana leads, 58-35
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 37-13
In Lake Charles: McNeese leads, 22-20
Streak: Louisiana +3

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Record at Louisiana: 162-115 (ninth season), Career Record: 510-281 (26th season)

McNEESE
Head Coach: Heath Schroyer (Armstrong, 1995)
Record at McNeese: 3-7 (first season), Career Record: 129-150 (10th year)

STORY LINES
• The 93-game series with McNeese is the second-longest in Ragin' Cajuns recorded history, ranking behind Louisiana Tech (130) and ahead of Lamar (83), ULM (77), Arkansas State (77), Louisiana College (74) and Northwestern State (73).
• The I-10 rivals were former rivals in the Southland Conference from 1972-82 and have played each season since 1998.
• Louisiana has won the last three meetings in the series and 13 of the past 20 contests dating back to the 2000-01 season.
• Louisiana's 92-72 win in Lake Charles in 2016 was its first since 2004 and snapped a five-game losing streak to the Cowboys at Burton Coliseum.
• Junior guard P.J. Hardy is a Lake Charles native and the younger brother of former McNeese letterwinner Kevin Hardy (2011-15).

QUICK HITS
• Louisiana's 122 points against Prairie View are the second-most scored against a Division I opponent this season (139, South Dakota State vs. Savannah State, 12/11).
• Marcus Stroman is ranked second in the nation in total assists (78), sixth in total steals (30) and eighth in assists per game (7.1).
• JaKeenan Gant is third nationally in blocked shots (35) and is sixth in blocks per game (3.2).
• Louisiana (No. 1 Kansas, No. 3 Tennessee) and Gonzaga (No. 2 Duke, Tennessee) are the only two teams in the country to play two of the top three teams in the current Associated Press Top 25 poll.
• Tonight's game for the Ragin' Cajuns is their sixth straight of nine contests within the state of Louisiana.
• Head coach Bob Marlin is 18-12 overall in his career against McNeese State. The 30 games coached agianst the Cowboys are the third-most among 2018-19 opponents behind UT Arlington (35) and Texas State (34).

SCOUTING MCNEESE
• McNeese, under first-year coach Heath Schroyer, has won its last three games at its new $40 million H&HP Complex. The Cowboys defeated North Carolina Central, 77-61, in their last home game on Dec. 13.
• James Harvey, a high school teammate of Ragin' Cajuns guard Jeremy Hayes at Amite (La.) High School, leads McNeese in scoring at 13.0 points per game with Malik Hines (12.5) next in scoring.
• Former Ragin' Cajuns letterwinner Roydell Brown, who played for Louisiana during the 2016-17 season, is averaging 9.2 points and a team-high 9.2 rebounds in his first season with the Cowboys.

CAJUNS GET BATTLE-TESTED EARLY
• For only the second time in school history, Louisiana faced at least two teams ranked in the top 10 when it played at No. 6 Tennessee (Nov. 9) and No. 2 Kansas (Nov. 16).
• The only other time Louisiana faced two top-10 teams in the same season was in 2004-05 when the Ragin' Cajuns played then No. 2-ranked Kansas (L, 96-51) and No. 4 Louisville (L, 68-62).
• The Nov. 16 game at Kansas was Louisiana's second contest against a No. 2-ranked team in school history - ironically, the previous game against a No. 2 team was Kansas.
• Louisiana's lone win against a top-5 team in nine games came in a 70-61 win over then-No. 5 Georgetown (with freshman Patrick Ewing) in the opening game of the 1981 Great Alaska Shootout.

SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE
• Season tickets, beginning at $100, are available online at RaginCajuns.com using Account Manager, or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 265-2357.
• All current UL faculty and staff, along with recent graduates (within the last five years), can purchase season tickets at a 50-percent discount to cheer on the Ragin' Cajuns during the 2018-19 season at the Cajundome.
• The special package will allow recent graduates of Louisiana to purchase tickets in sections 101-103. Discounts will be applied upon confirmation of graduate status by the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office.

GET YOUR PASSPORT
• The game against Southern is part of the "Louisiana Passport," which will recognize Ragin' Cajuns fans who attend all eight of Louisiana's scheduled games against in-state opponents during the 2018-19 season.
• Each game, beginning with the Ragin' Cajuns Nov. 28 game at New Orleans, fans will get their passport stamped at a location to be determined. In-state games for the Ragin' Cajuns include home games against Southern (Dec. 1), Loyola (Dec. 5), Louisiana Tech (Dec. 15) and ULM (Feb. 16), with additional road games slated against McNeese State (Dec. 18), Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 29) and ULM (Jan. 19).
• At Louisiana's game against ULM at the Cajundome on Feb. 16, those who have a completed passport with eight stamps will be recognized on the court at some point during the game.
• For more information on tickets, contact the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 265-2357. For information concerning parking, contact the RCAF at (337) 851-2903.

FOLLOW THE CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsMBB), Facebook (RaginCajunsMBB) or Instagram (@RaginCajunsMBB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Men's Basketball.

@RaginCajunsMBB Game 12 Preview: at McNeese

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Players Mentioned

Jerekius Davis

JaKeenan Gant

P.J. Hardy

Jeremy Hayes

Malik Marquetti

Justin Miller

Marcus Stroman

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