@RaginCajunsMBB Game 28 Preview: vs. Coastal Carolina

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team begins its final homestand of the 2018-19 season when it faces Coastal Carolina in a Sun Belt Conference game on Thursday at the Cajundome.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Dan McDonald (pxp) and Eric Mouton (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.

Currently tied with ULM (14-12, 7-7 SBC) and Coastal Carolina (13-13, 7-7 SBC) for fifth-place in the Sun Belt Conference standings, Louisiana (16-11, 7-7 SBC) will look to rebound from a 64-62 setback at league-leader Texas State on Saturday. The Ragin' Cajuns, who are 9-3 at home this season, closes out their home schedule on Sunday against Appalachian State in a 1:30 p.m. contest.

JaKeenan Gant, ranked fourth in the SBC in scoring and second in rebounds, leads Louisiana in scoring (20.3) and rebounds (8.7) while pacing the league with 2.8 blocks per game. Marcus Stroman (11.7), Jerekius Davis (9.8), Justin Miller (9.3) and Cedric Russell (8.3) are next in scoring for Louisiana.

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (16-11, 7-7 SBC) vs. COASTAL CAROLINA (13-13, 7-7 SBC)
Date / Time: February 28, 2019 / 7 p.m.
Site: Lafayette, La.
Arena: Cajundome (12,362)

RADIO/TV
Radio: KHXT 107.9 FM
Talent: Jay Walker (PxP); Ross Cook (color)
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Dan McDonald (PxP); Eric Mouton (color)

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

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Louisiana leads, 3-1
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 1-0
In Conway: Louisiana leads, 2-1
Streak: Coastal Carolina +1

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Record at Louisiana: 171-122 (ninth season), Career Record: 519-288 (26th season)

COASTAL CAROLINA
Head Coach: Cliff Ellis (Florida State, 1968)
Record at CCU: 226-160 (12th season), Career Record: 838-509 (45th season)

STORY LINES
• Louisiana is 42-21 overall in games played during the month of February under head coach Bob Marlin and a combined 62-36 in February/March.
• JaKeenan Gant is the only Division I player averaging 20 points, eight rebounds and 2.8 blocks during the 2018-19 season.
• With 1,225 points in his collegiate career (including 966 in his career at Louisiana), Gant is 34 points shy of reaching the 1,000-point mark with the Ragin' Cajuns.
• Gant would become the 10th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point mark in two years, joining a group that includes Dwight "Bo" Lamar, Andrew Toney, Shawn Long, Kevin Brooks, Frank Bartley and Sydney Grider.
• Marcus Stroman's 385 assists in his Ragin' Cajuns career are two shy of tying Andrew Toney (1976-80) for 11th-place on the school's all-time list.

QUICK HITS
• Louisiana is 10-3 overall when scoring 80 or more points during the 2018-19 season.
• The Ragin' Cajuns are 10-2 overall when holding an opponent to under 80 points
• Louisiana is 6-2 this season in games decided by six points or less.
• Bob Marlin's 98 wins in Sun Belt Conference games are the most by an active coach in the league.
• Louisiana is ranked No. 2 in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring offense (82.0), free throw percentage (.753), assists (14.9) and turnover margin (+2.1).
• With 73 blocks in 2018-19, JaKeenan Gant has posted the fifth-best total in a single-season in school history and is one block shy of equaling his total - the fourth-best mark - from last season.
• Gant has recorded a Sun Belt Conference-best 11 double-doubles during the 2018-19 season.
• 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 COASTAL CAROLINA
• Coastal Carolina snapped a four-game losing streak after recording a 95-82 win over then SBC co-leader Georgia State on Saturday. Prior to their four-game slide, the Chanticleers had won five straight games that was capped by a 96-79 victory over Louisiana on Feb. 2 in Conway.
• Zac Cuthbertson leads CCU in scoring (18.3) and rebounds (8.4) with DeVante Jones (13.3) and Tyrell Gumbs-Frater (9.1) next in scoring.
• As a team, the Chanticleers are averaging 76.5 points while allowing 71.8. During SBC games, CCU is second in field goal defense (.423), third in scoring defense (71.8) and third in 3-point field goal defense (.313).

LAST MEETING - COASTAL CAROLINA 96, LOUISIANA 79
• Zac Cuthbertson scored 24 points to lead five players in double figures and Coastal Carolina shot 58 percent from the floor, including 13 3-pointers, to pull away and defeat Louisiana, 96-79, in a Sun Belt Conference game at the HTC Center.
• Freshman Ebrima Dibba posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 assists while DeVante Jones added 16 points as Coastal Carolina (12-9, 6-3 SBC) won its fifth straight game overall and its first against Louisiana (13-9, 4-5 SBC) in four contests.
• The Chanticleers finished 33-for-57 (58 percent) from the floor, including a 13-for-23 performance from behind the 3-point line. Tyrell Gumbs-Frater came off the bench to score 15 points, all from behind the 3-point line, while Tommy Burton added 13 points.
• JaKeenan Gant led Louisiana with a game-high 27 points and 12 rebounds, recording his Sun Belt-leading 10th double-double of the year. Jerekius Davis scored all 12 of his points in the first half for the Ragin' Cajuns with Marcus Stroman adding 11.

AT HOME IN THE DOME
• In eight of the past nine seasons, Louisiana has won 10 or more games in the Cajundome, highlighted by a single-season record tying 14 victories in 2017-18.
• Louisiana is 9-3 overall at the Cajundome in 2018-19.
• Since opening in 1985-86, Louisiana has posted a 338-128 record in the Cajundome and is 100-30 under head coach Bob Marlin.

THE RAGIN' CAJUNS LEGACY LIVES ON
• Two members of the 2018-19 Ragin' Cajuns squad are following in the footsteps of their fathers, who each played for then-USL.
• Freshman forward Kobe Julien (Baton Rouge) is the son of former Ragin' Cajuns forward Wayne Julien (1977-81) with freshman guard Eli Mouton (Lafayette) the son of former Ragin' Cajuns player and current ESPN+ analyst Eric Mouton.

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 28 Preview: vs. Coastal Carolina

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Players Mentioned

Frank Bartley

Jerekius Davis

JaKeenan Gant

Kobe Julien

Shawn Long

Malik Marquetti

Justin Miller

Eli Mouton

Cedric Russell

Marcus Stroman

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