@RaginCajunsMBB Game 26 Preview: at UT Arlington

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team begins a two-game road trip on Thursday when it visits UT Arlington in a Sun Belt Conference game at College Park Center.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Ron Thulin (pxp) and Mike Petersen (color) on the call. Fans can 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 (15-10, 6-6 SBC) won its second straight game and evened its league record after an 83-76 victory over ULM last Saturday at the Cajundome. Marcus Stroman and JaKeenan Gant combined for 42 points with Justin Miller hauling in 12 rebounds as the Ragin' Cajuns shot 50-percent from the floor and moved into a three-way tie with Coastal Carolina and ULM for fifth-place in the Sun Belt standings.

Gant, fourth in the league in scoring and second in rebounds, leads Louisiana in scoring (21.0) and rebounds (8.3) while averaging 3.0 blocks per game. Stroman, whose five 20-point games in his career have been recorded this season, is averaging 12.2 points for the Ragin' Cajuns and a SBC-best 6.4 assists per contest.

Under first-year coach Chris Ogden, UTA (12-14, 8-5 SBC) struggled through its rugged non-conference schedule, posting a 5-10 record that included games against Power 5 programs Indiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Texas, plus top-5 ranked Gonzaga.

The Mavs won eight of nine games in Sun Belt Conference play after an 0-2 start before narrow losses on the road last week at Little Rock (56-52) and Arkansas State (83-79).

Brian Warren leads UTA in scoring at 14.6 points per game with Edric Dennis next at 14.4. As a team, UTA is averaging 67.8 points per game while allowing 69.8. Andres Ibarguen pulls down a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game for the Mavs with Warren leading the team in assists (94) and steals (29).

After facing UTA for the only time during the regular-season, Louisiana will travel down I-35 to face league-leader Texas State on Saturday in San Marcos, Texas. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (15-10, 6-6 SBC) at UT ARLINGTON (12-14, 8-5 SBC)
Date / Time: February 21, 2019 / 7 p.m.
Site: Arlington, Texas
Arena: College Park Center (7,000)

RADIO/TV
Radio: KHXT 107.9 FM / ESPN 1420 AM
Talent: Jay Walker (PxP); Ross Cook (color)
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Ron Thulin (PxP); Mike Petersen (color)

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

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Louisiana leads, 20-9
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 11-3
In Arlington: Louisiana leads, 8-5
Neutral: Series tied, 1-1
Streak: UTA +1

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Record at Louisiana: 170-121 (ninth season), Career Record: 518-287 (26th season)

UT ARLINGTON
Head Coach: Chris Ogden (Texas, 2004)
Record at UTA: 12-14 (first season), Career Record: Same

STORY LINES
• Louisiana is 41-20 overall in games played during the month of February under head coach Bob Marlin and a combined 61-35 in February/March.
• The Ragin' Cajuns face their Lone Star State rivals (UT Arlington, Texas State) for the only time during the regular-season.
• Louisiana enters the week in a three-way tie with Coastal Carolina and ULM for fifth place in the Sun Belt Conference standings.
• JaKeenan Gant is the lone Division I player averaging 20 points, eight rebounds and 3.0 blocks during the 2018-19 season.
• Bob Marlin's 97 wins in Sun Belt Conference games are the most by an active coach in the league.
• With 1,207 points in his collegiate career (including 942 in his career at Louisiana), Gant is 58 points shy of reaching the 1,000-point mark with the Ragin' Cajuns.

QUICK HITS
• Louisiana is 10-3 overall when scoring 80 or more points during the 2018-19 season.
• Louisiana is 6-1 this season in games decided by six points or less.
• With 71 blocks in 2018-19, JaKeenan Gant has posted the sixth-best total in a single-season in school history and is three blocks shy of equaling his total - the fourth-best mark - from last season.
• With two blocks, Gant can tie former Ragin' Cajun Kadeem Coleby (73 blocks, 2011-12) for fifth on the single-season list.
• Gant has recorded a Sun Belt Conference-best 10 double-doubles during the 2018-19 season.
• With 161 assists this season, Marcus Stroman is four shy of tying Aaron Mitchell (1990-91) and Johnny Collins (1982-83) for the 10th-best single-season total in Ragin' Cajuns history.
• Louisiana has used 10 different starting lineups during the 2018-19 season, including six since losing senior Malik Marquetti to a knee injury on Dec. 29.
• 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.

SCOUTING UT ARLINGTON
• Under first-year coach Chris Ogden, UTA struggled through its rugged non-conference schedule, posting a 5-10 record that included games against Power 5 programs Indiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Texas, plus top-5 ranked Gonzaga.
• The Mavs won eight of nine games in Sun Belt Conference play after an 0-2 start before narrow losses on the road last week at Little Rock (56-52) and Arkansas State (83-79).
• Brian Warren leads UTA in scoring at 14.6 points per game with Edric Dennis next at 14.4. As a team, UTA is averaging 67.8 points per game while allowing 69.8. Andres Ibarguen pulls down a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game for the Mavs with Warren leading the team in assists (94) and steals (29).

LAST MEETING - UT ARLINGTON 71, LOUISIANA 68
• Kaelon Wilson sank a pair of free throws with 1:19 remaining and added a key offensive rebound in the final seconds as No. 4-seeded UT Arlington claimed a 71-68 victory over the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in the Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Championship semifinals at Lakefront Arena.
• Erick Neal scored 18 points to lead four players in double figures for UTA, the Preseason SBC regular-season favorite which advanced to face Georgia State.
• Wilson, who finished with 17 points for UTA, began an 11-4 run with 5:23 remaining when his 3-point attempt bounced twice off the rim and fell through, cutting Louisiana's lead to 64-63. Neal gave UTA a 65-64 lead with a running one-hander in the lane before Nathan Hawkins scored on a bucket for a 67-64 lead with 3:13 remaining.
• Frank Bartley led Louisiana with 19 points while Justin Miller finished with 14 points and four rebounds. Bryce Washington, playing in his hometown, finished with 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his 38th career double-double while Malik Marquetti added 11 points.

TICKETS AVAILABLE
• Tickets are available online at RaginCajuns.com using Account Manager, or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 265-2357.

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 26 Preview: at UT Arlington

Players Mentioned

Frank Bartley

JaKeenan Gant

Malik Marquetti

Justin Miller

Marcus Stroman

Bryce Washington

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