MBB Game 26 Preview: vs. Texas State

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team returns home on Thursday after a three-game road trip when it plays host to Texas State in a Sun Belt Conference game at the Cajundome.

Tipoff is set for 7:15 p.m., and will follow the Louisiana-Texas State women's game set for 5 p.m. The game can be heard in the Lafayette area on KHXT-FM (107.9) with a live broadcast available on RaginCajuns.com.

SBC leader Louisiana (21-4, 11-1 SBC) returns home for its only games at the Cajundome during the month of February. After earning a split in last week's trip to Georgia State and Georgia Southern, the Ragin' Cajuns will play four of their final six games at home.

The Ragin' Cajuns will conclude the weekend when it battles UT Arlington on Saturday in a 7 p.m., contest that will be available on ESPN3.

Louisiana claimed the previous meeting against Texas State (14-12, 7-6 SBC), with an 80-55 victory last month in San Marcos, Texas. The Bobcats have four of their last five games since facing Louisiana, with the four losses coming by a combined 11 points.

GAME 26: Louisiana (21-4, 11-1 SBC) vs. Texas State (14-12, 7-6 SBC)
Date / Time: February 15, 2018 / 7:15 p.m.
Site: Lafayette, La.
Arena: Cajundome (12,362)

Radio: KHXT 107.9 FM
Talent: Ian Auzenne (pxp)

TV/Internet: RaginCajuns.com
Talent: Dan McDonald (pxp)
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Social Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB | #GeauxCajuns

Series History: Louisiana leads, 10-1
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 5-0
In San Marcos: Louisiana leads 4-1
In New Orleans: Louisiana leads, 1-0
Current streak: Louisiana +3

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Record at Louisiana: 149-108 (eighth season), Career Record: 497-274 (25th season)

TEXAS STATE
Head Coach: Danny Kaspar (North Texas, 1978)
Record at TXST: 73-81 (fifth season), Career Record: 538-274 (27th season)

STORY LINES
• JaKeenan Gant is the only Division I player in the country currently averaging 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and shooting over 59 percent from the floor.
• Louisiana has won 20 or more games in four of the past five seasons.
• Louisiana is 9-1 against Texas State since the Bobcats joined the Sun Belt Conference in the 2013-14 season.
• Louisiana's 14-game homecourt win streak dating back to last season is the ninth-longest among Division I programs.
• Louisiana and Montana are the only schools nationally (as of Feb. 13) that have won eight or more games on the road and are undefeated at home.
• Senior Bryce Washington became the fourth player in both Ragin' Cajuns and Sun Belt Conference history to record 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. The senior grabbed six boards at Georgia State to increase his career total to 1,000.
• Under Bob Marlin, Louisiana is 53-30 overall in games played in February and March.
• Thursday's loss at Georgia State was the Ragin' Cajuns first SBC road loss since a 74-70 setback at Georgia Southern on Feb. 6, 2017 - a span of eight games
• Since the 2013-14 season, Louisiana has recorded 87 games with 80 or more points scored - the fifth-most by any Division I school during that span and trailing North Carolina (103), BYU (98), Duke (93) and Gonzaga.

QUICK HITS
• Bryce Washington is fourth among active Division I players in total rebounds (1,013), tied for sixth in career double-doubles (35), 27th in rebound average (8.0), 37th in career field goal percentage (.574) and tied for 35th in games played (127).
• Marcus Stroman's 15 assists against Georgia State on Thursday were tied for the fifth-most in a single-game this season. The 15 assists were the most by a Ragin' Cajun since Aaron Mitchell dished out 15 against Chattanooga on Jan. 2, 1990.
• Washington is one of five Division I players to average a double-double during the past two seasons joining Angel Delgado (Seton Hall), Bonzie Colson (Notre Dame), Alize Johnson (Missouri State) and James Thompson IV (Eastern Michigan).

SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
• Texas State, which is seventh nationally in scoring defense (62.7), enters tonight's game on a four-game losing skid with its 80-55 loss to Louisiana on Jan. 20 the first of five losses in a six-game span.
• The Bobcats last five contests, where they have posted a 1-4 record, have been settled by a combined 12 points, with their last three games coming down the last possession.
• Nijal Pearson leads Texas State in scoring at 14.3 points per game with Pearson and Immanuel King each pulling down 6.0 rebounds to lead the Bobcats.
• Texas State ranks eighth nationally in 3-point field goal defense, holding opponents to 30.0 percent from behind the 3-point line.
• Texas State (62.2) and Louisiana (66.7) are the top two scoring defenses in Sun Belt Conference play and are 1-2 in 3-point field goal defense - Texas State (.286), Louisiana (.317).

NEXT UP
• Louisiana closes its homestand on Saturday against UTA in a 7 p.m. contest that will be carried on ESPN3.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

JaKeenan Gant

Marcus Stroman

Bryce Washington

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