University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Thursday, January 4
Lafayette
7 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
7-7,0-2Sun Belt
61
vs
68
James Madison
14-0,2-0Sun Belt
1
2
F
James Madison
22
46
68
Louisiana
23
38
61
Upset Bid Comes Up Short Against No. 19 JMU
1/4/2024 11:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Kentrell Garnett led the offense with 17 points
LAFAYETTE – Despite a spirited defensive effort the Louisiana men's basketball team came up just short in their bid for their first win over a ranked team since 2002 on Thursday night against No. 19 James Madison, 68-61. Coming into Thursday, the Dukes were the third highest-scoring team in the country at 91.8 points per game.
Kentrell Garnett led the Cajun (7-7, 0-2 SBC) offense with 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Joe Charles had a huge night on the boards with 15 rebounds and blocked three shots. Kobe Julien added 15 points with five rebounds while Hosana Kitenge finished with 11 points.
The Dukes (14-0, 2-0 SBC) hit the first shot of the night before the Cajuns came to life. A 12-1 run while the Dukes missed 11 shots in a row put the Cajuns ahead early. The visitors bounced back and cut what was an eight-point Cajun lead down to one.
Michael Thomas made a tough layup and on the next possession, Blake Butler connected from deep to push the lead back to six at 17-11. After trading baskets, the Dukes scored the last four points of the half and sent the game into the locker rooms with Louisiana leading 23-22.
Charles opened the half with a corner three and pushed the Cajun lead back to four, but JMU answered back. They'd eventually take a one-point lead but that lasted all of 16 seconds before Garnett hit a three to put the Cajuns back on top.
Louisiana ran their lead to five but the Dukes answered with a 19-4 run to take a 10-point lead of their own with 8:34 to go. The Cajuns refused to go away, responding to the run with a 6-0 run of their own to make it 54-50.
Trailing by six, Themus Fulks made a tough layup and Garnett followed with another three to make it 56-55 with 3:27 on the clock. The Cajuns kept it within a possession, but with under a minute to go, JMU hit a corner three at the end of the shot clock to go ahead by six. From there the visitors made free throws to maintain their cushion until the final buzzer.
The Cajuns held the powerful Duke offense to just .414 percent shooting, only Michigan State held them to a worse shooting percentage all season. The 68 points was a season-low for the No. 19 team in the nation and their 19 turnovers were their highest in a game this season.
The Cajuns look for their first win of Sun Belt Conference action on Saturday when they host Coastal Carolina. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. from the Cajundome.
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Season tickets are available by visiting the Louisiana Athletics Box Office at the Cajundome, or by purchasing by visiting Account Manager. For more information call the Louisiana Athletics Box Office at the Cajundome at (337) 265-2104.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
For the latest on Louisiana Men's Basketball, stay tuned to RaginCajuns.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (RaginCajunsMBB).
Kentrell Garnett led the Cajun (7-7, 0-2 SBC) offense with 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Joe Charles had a huge night on the boards with 15 rebounds and blocked three shots. Kobe Julien added 15 points with five rebounds while Hosana Kitenge finished with 11 points.
The Dukes (14-0, 2-0 SBC) hit the first shot of the night before the Cajuns came to life. A 12-1 run while the Dukes missed 11 shots in a row put the Cajuns ahead early. The visitors bounced back and cut what was an eight-point Cajun lead down to one.
Michael Thomas made a tough layup and on the next possession, Blake Butler connected from deep to push the lead back to six at 17-11. After trading baskets, the Dukes scored the last four points of the half and sent the game into the locker rooms with Louisiana leading 23-22.
Charles opened the half with a corner three and pushed the Cajun lead back to four, but JMU answered back. They'd eventually take a one-point lead but that lasted all of 16 seconds before Garnett hit a three to put the Cajuns back on top.
Louisiana ran their lead to five but the Dukes answered with a 19-4 run to take a 10-point lead of their own with 8:34 to go. The Cajuns refused to go away, responding to the run with a 6-0 run of their own to make it 54-50.
Trailing by six, Themus Fulks made a tough layup and Garnett followed with another three to make it 56-55 with 3:27 on the clock. The Cajuns kept it within a possession, but with under a minute to go, JMU hit a corner three at the end of the shot clock to go ahead by six. From there the visitors made free throws to maintain their cushion until the final buzzer.
The Cajuns held the powerful Duke offense to just .414 percent shooting, only Michigan State held them to a worse shooting percentage all season. The 68 points was a season-low for the No. 19 team in the nation and their 19 turnovers were their highest in a game this season.
The Cajuns look for their first win of Sun Belt Conference action on Saturday when they host Coastal Carolina. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. from the Cajundome.
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Season tickets are available by visiting the Louisiana Athletics Box Office at the Cajundome, or by purchasing by visiting Account Manager. For more information call the Louisiana Athletics Box Office at the Cajundome at (337) 265-2104.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
For the latest on Louisiana Men's Basketball, stay tuned to RaginCajuns.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (RaginCajunsMBB).
Team Stats
JMU
LA
FG%
.414
.411
3FG%
.227
.263
FT%
.625
.556
RB
46
31
TO
19
13
STL
3
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
15
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
G
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