University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
1-3,0-0Sun Belt
McNeese
3-1,0-0Southland
Slow Start Plagues Cajuns Against McNeese
11/14/2025 10:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Finister's career-high 25 not enough as Cajuns drop third straight to Cowboys
LAKE CHARLES – Louisiana couldn't overcome a slow start on Friday night, dropping an 88-62 decision to McNeese at Townsley Law Arena.
The Ragin' Cajuns (1-3) managed just 18 percent shooting in the first half and trailed 37-16 at intermission before settling in after the break. Louisiana shot 44 percent in the second half and scored 46 points, but McNeese (3-1) never trailed after Larry Johnson's 3-pointer with 15:02 remaining in the first half started a 9-0 run and broke open a 6-6 contest.
Dorian Finister led Louisiana with a career-high 25 points, going 7-for-14 from the field and 9-for-10 at the free-throw line. De'Vion Lavergne added 11 points, and Jaxon Olvera contributed 12 along with a career-best seven rebounds.
McNeese, which claimed its third straight win in the 101-game all-time series – matching its longest streak over the Cajuns since 1983-85 – spread the scoring across its lineup with two players in double figures. Freshman Larry Johnson paced the Cowboys with 24 points off the bench on 7-of-11 shooting and a perfect 8-of-8 at the line. Tyshawn Archie scored 14, while Jacolb Fredson-Cole, Garwey Dual and Javohn Garcia combined for 21 more.
Finister poured in 16 points over the final 20 minutes for Louisiana, and Lavergne added nine. The Cajuns shot 35.7 percent from deep in the second half and went 13-for-15 at the stripe.
The Ragin' Cajuns finished with a 32-30 advantage on the boards, including 15 offensive rebounds that led to 18 second-chance points. McNeese controlled the turnover margin, turning 17 Cajun giveaways into 25 points.
Louisiana will head west for three games, beginning on Tuesday (November 18) at Stanford in a 9 p.m. CT matchup at Maples Pavilion.
Season tickets for the 2025-26 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Men's Basketball season are available now at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685).
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