University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, March 9
Pensacola, Fla.
2 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
vs
Arkansas State
Louisiana Faces Arkansas State in SBC Quarterfinals
3/8/2024 12:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Louisiana goes for their fourth straight semifinal appearance
PENSACOLA, Florida – The Louisiana men's basketball team looks to advance to their fourth straight Sun Belt Conference Championship semifinals on Saturday at the Pensacola Bay Center. To do so they'll have to beat Arkansas State for the third time this season.
The defending conference champions looked the part on Thursday in an 80-66 win over Coastal Carolina. The Ragin' Cajun defense pestered the Chanticleers to the tune of 16 turnovers and held them to just 3-of-20 from deep. Offensively the Cajuns connected nine times from three-point range and shot 50 percent from the field in the second half.
Kobe Julien led the offense with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting along with five rebounds. Hosana Kitenge finished with 13 points while Kentrell Garnett added 11 off the bench. Joe Charles led the Cajuns in rebounding with 10.
Louisiana's opponent is no stranger as they face Arkansas State for the third time this season, winning both of the previous contests. The Red Wolves closed the year strong, winning eight of their last 10 in league play. All-Sun Belt Conference First Team member Caleb Fields runs the show under first-year head coach Bryan Hodgson. The senior finished the season second on the team in points, 12.1 per game, and led the SBC in assists, 5.8 per game.
Story Lines
• Louisiana has reached the Sun Belt Conference Quarterfinals for the fourth straight season and the 12th time in 14 seasons under head coach Bob Marlin.
• The Cajuns face the Red Wolves for the third time in the SBC Championships. Louisiana is 2-0 in those contests winning 74-59 on March 2, 2002, and 73-66 on March 7, 2020.
• With Thursday's win over Coastal Carolina, Louisiana has won at least one game in each of the last four SBC Championships and once for the 11th time in the Marlin era.
• Louisiana has won the last four in the series with Arkansas State and leads the all-time series 61-29. The Cajuns swept the Red Wolves in the regular season, winning 84-77 at Jonesboro on Jan. 13 and 81-75 on Jan. 26 in Lafayette.
• Hosana Kitenge was unstoppable the first go around with the Red Wolves, scoring a career-high 25 points on 10-of-15 in Jonesboro. Kobe Julien averaged 20.5 points in the regular season against Arkansas State.
• In non-divisional play, this is only the second time the Cajuns have faced the fourth seed in the SBC Championships. They are 1-1 all-time in those games. They defeated Western Kentucky, 98-94, on March 2, 1996, and fell to UT Arlington, 71-68, on March 10, 2018.
GAME 33 PREVIEW – Louisiana (19-13, 10-8 SBC) vs. Arkansas State (16-15, 11-7 SBC)
Date/Time: March 9, 2024 / 2 p.m.
Site: Pensacola, Florida
Arena: Pensacola Bay Center (10,000)
RADIO/TV
TV: ESPN+
??Talent: Matt Stewart (pxp), Nate Ross (analyst)
Radio: KPEL-FM 96.5 / The Varsity Network
Talent: Jay Walker (pxp)
LIVE STATS/SOCIAL MEDIA
Live Stats: Cajunstats.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB | #GeauxCajuns
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Louisiana leads, 61-29
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 37-9
In Jonesboro: Louisiana leads, 23-20
At Neutral Sites: Louisiana leads, 1-0
Streak: Louisiana, +4
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).
The defending conference champions looked the part on Thursday in an 80-66 win over Coastal Carolina. The Ragin' Cajun defense pestered the Chanticleers to the tune of 16 turnovers and held them to just 3-of-20 from deep. Offensively the Cajuns connected nine times from three-point range and shot 50 percent from the field in the second half.
Kobe Julien led the offense with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting along with five rebounds. Hosana Kitenge finished with 13 points while Kentrell Garnett added 11 off the bench. Joe Charles led the Cajuns in rebounding with 10.
Louisiana's opponent is no stranger as they face Arkansas State for the third time this season, winning both of the previous contests. The Red Wolves closed the year strong, winning eight of their last 10 in league play. All-Sun Belt Conference First Team member Caleb Fields runs the show under first-year head coach Bryan Hodgson. The senior finished the season second on the team in points, 12.1 per game, and led the SBC in assists, 5.8 per game.
Story Lines
• Louisiana has reached the Sun Belt Conference Quarterfinals for the fourth straight season and the 12th time in 14 seasons under head coach Bob Marlin.
• The Cajuns face the Red Wolves for the third time in the SBC Championships. Louisiana is 2-0 in those contests winning 74-59 on March 2, 2002, and 73-66 on March 7, 2020.
• With Thursday's win over Coastal Carolina, Louisiana has won at least one game in each of the last four SBC Championships and once for the 11th time in the Marlin era.
• Louisiana has won the last four in the series with Arkansas State and leads the all-time series 61-29. The Cajuns swept the Red Wolves in the regular season, winning 84-77 at Jonesboro on Jan. 13 and 81-75 on Jan. 26 in Lafayette.
• Hosana Kitenge was unstoppable the first go around with the Red Wolves, scoring a career-high 25 points on 10-of-15 in Jonesboro. Kobe Julien averaged 20.5 points in the regular season against Arkansas State.
• In non-divisional play, this is only the second time the Cajuns have faced the fourth seed in the SBC Championships. They are 1-1 all-time in those games. They defeated Western Kentucky, 98-94, on March 2, 1996, and fell to UT Arlington, 71-68, on March 10, 2018.
GAME 33 PREVIEW – Louisiana (19-13, 10-8 SBC) vs. Arkansas State (16-15, 11-7 SBC)
Date/Time: March 9, 2024 / 2 p.m.
Site: Pensacola, Florida
Arena: Pensacola Bay Center (10,000)
RADIO/TV
TV: ESPN+
??Talent: Matt Stewart (pxp), Nate Ross (analyst)
Radio: KPEL-FM 96.5 / The Varsity Network
Talent: Jay Walker (pxp)
LIVE STATS/SOCIAL MEDIA
Live Stats: Cajunstats.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB | #GeauxCajuns
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Louisiana leads, 61-29
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 37-9
In Jonesboro: Louisiana leads, 23-20
At Neutral Sites: Louisiana leads, 1-0
Streak: Louisiana, +4
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).
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
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