Defensive Energy Carries Louisiana Past SLU, 58-52

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns used outstanding team defense to hold Southeastern Louisiana scoreless over the game's first seven minutes, and the Cajuns led from wire-to-wire, defeating the Lions, 58-52, on Friday at the Cajundome

The win for Louisiana (1-1) marked the first for head coach Quannas White. Sophomore Jaxon Olvera paced three double-figure scorers for Louisiana with a game-high 20 points. Guard Jamyron Keller scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half, while junior Dorion Finister celebrated his 22nd birthday by adding 12 points to the delight of the 3,304 in the Cajundome.

Louisiana roared out to an 11-0 lead behind Olvera's seven-point burst before Jaden Lawrence's shot in the paint with 12:53 remaining in the first half ended a 0-for-6 start from the floor for SLU (0-2), who finished 15-for-45 (33.3 percent) from the floor and 4-for-19 (21.1 percent) from behind the 3-point arc.

Southeastern cut the Cajuns' lead to 13-8 on a 3-pointer by Jalen Forrest, but Finister answered with a three of his own, and Olvera hit a 17-footer to extend the lead to 20-8 at the 8:46 mark. Louisiana's defense kept the double-digit lead, taking a 34-20 lead into the locker room.

"I was really proud of our defense tonight," White said after the game. "We did a good job of keeping the ball in front of us and forcing contested shots."

An Olvera layup gave the Cajuns their biggest lead, 40-23, with 16:23 remaining, but the Lions paraded to the free throw line, hitting 14 of 19 to chip away at the Cajuns' lead.

A jumper by Da'Vion Lavergne at the 4:11 mark gave Louisiana a 55-43 lead, but the Cajuns wouldn't make another field goal.

Forrest and Jeremy Elyzee combined to cut the Cajuns' lead to five, but Keller made three clutch free throws in the final minute to keep the Lions at bay. SLU attempted 31 free throws for the game, while the Cajuns finished 7-for-12, all in the second half.

Forrest led SLU with 14 points, while Elyzee added 12. Lawrence to lead the Lions, who outrebounded Louisiana, 33-31, including 12-4 on the offensive end.

Louisiana returns to action for its second consecutive home game on Tuesday when it plays host to Tulane in a 7 p.m. contest. The game will be available on ESPN+

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).

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).

Defensive Energy Carries Louisiana Past SLU, 58-52

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Team Stats

Jaxon Olvera

Jamyron Keller

Dorian Finister

De'Vion Lavergne

Players Mentioned

Jamyron Keller

Jaxon Olvera

Players Mentioned

Jamyron Keller

Jaxon Olvera

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