@RaginCajunsMBB Game 18 Preview: at ULM

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team wraps up a three-game road trip when it travels to north Louisiana to face ULM in a Sun Belt Conference game on Saturday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., CT. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Graham Doty (pxp) and Mike Vining (color) on the call. Fans can listen to the game in the Lafayette area on KHXT-FM (107.9) and worldwide on RaginCajuns.com with Jay Walker (PxP) and Ross Cook (color) providing the commentary.

Louisiana (11-6, 2-2 SBC) returns to action after splitting a pair of games last weekend in Georgia. The Ragin' Cajuns capped off the weekend with an 87-85 victory over Georgia Southern with JaKeenan Gant scoring 22 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking five shots.

Gant, one of four players in Division I currently averaging 30 points per game in conference play, is fifth overall in the SBC in scoring (19.8) and third in the league in rebounds (8.2), second in field goal percentage (.545), fourth in free throw percentage (.824) and first in blocks (3.0).

Marcus Stroman (12.1) and Justin Miller (10.4) are next in scoring for the Ragin' Cajuns with Stroman leading the league in assists (6.4) and tied for the league-lead in steals (2.5).

ULM (9-7, 2-2 SBC) dropped both of its games in Georgia by a combined two points with games decided on buzzer beaters. Wichita State grad transfer Daishon Smith is second in the SBC in scoring (20.8) with sophomore guard Michael Ertel averaging 15.0 points per contest.

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (11-6, 2-2 SBC) at ULM (9-7, 2-2 SBC)
Date / Time: January 19, 2019 / 2 p.m. CT
Site: Monroe, La.
Arena: Fant-Ewing Coliseum (7,000)

TV/RADIO
Radio: KHXT 107.9 FM
Talent: Jay Walker (PxP); Ross Cook (color)
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Graham Doty (PxP); Mike Vining (color)

LIVE STATS/SOCIAL
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Social Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB | #GeauxCajuns

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Louisiana leads, 54-23
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 33-4
In Monroe: Louisiana leads, 20-17
Neutral: ULM leads, 2-1
Streak: Louisiana +5

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Record at Louisiana: 166-117 (ninth season), Career Record: 514-283 (26th season)

ULM
Head Coach: Keith Richard (ULM, 1982)
Record at ULM: 102-165 (ninth season), Career Record: 252-282 (18th season)

STORY LINES
• Louisiana wraps up a three-game road trip on Saturday afternoon when it faces ULM at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
• The meeting with the Warhawks will be the 78th between the in-state schools and marks the third-oldest series in Ragin' Cajuns basketball history behind Louisiana Tech (130) and McNeese State (94).
• Saturday's matchup is the first between the No. 2 scorer in the Sun Belt Conference (ULM's Daishon Smith) and No. 5 scorer (Louisiana's JaKeenan Gant).
• Louisiana head coach Bob Marlin began his coaching career as a graduate assistant (1981-83) at ULM under Louisiana Hall of Fame Coach Mike Vining.
• ULM (.780) and Louisiana (.758) are first and second, respectively, in the Sun Belt Conference in free throw shooting.
• Louisiana has won the last two meetings at Fant-Ewing Coliseum and six of nine in Monroe dating back to 2010.

QUICK HITS
• JaKeenan Gant's 45-point, 11-rebound performance against Little Rock on Jan. 5 marked the sixth time during the 2018-19 season a Division I player notched a 40-10 game.
• The 45-point performance by Gant was the first 40-point game by a Ragin' Cajun since Sydney Grider (41 at Ole Miss) on Nov. 24, 1989.
• Gant is the only active Division I player in 2018-19 averaging 19 points, eight rebounds and three blocks per game.
• Gant is one of four players nationally averaging 30 points or more in conference games.
• The Ragin' Cajuns are officially 259-181 in Sun Belt Conference play and 93-57 under head coach Bob Marlin.
• Louisiana's 73-72 victory at Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 29 was its first one-point win since defeating ULM, 85-84, on Feb. 18, 2017. The Ragin' Cajuns are 11-4 overall in one-point games under head coach Bob Marlin and 55-49 overall in school history.

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.

CAJUNS CARE TICKET INITIATIVE
• Help Louisiana Athletics continue to give back! After a successful start during the 2018 football season, the Cajuns Care program will allow Ragin' Cajuns fans the opportunity to purchase Louisiana men's basketball season tickets for $20.
• Tickets purchased through the Cajuns Care program will be donated to local charitable and philanthropic initiatives, including Boys & Girls Club of Acadiana, the United Way and area military servicemen and servicewomen.
• Fans and supporters of Louisiana men's basketball can find the option to purchase Cajuns Care season tickets online, by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at the Cajundome (337-265-2357) or visiting in-person.

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 18 Preview: at ULM

Players Mentioned

JaKeenan Gant

Justin Miller

Marcus Stroman

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