First-Half Scoring Drought Hurts Cajuns Against Tech, 65-44

RUSTON – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns struggled to find an offensive rhythm on Saturday afternoon, dropping a 65-44 decision to in-state rival Louisiana Tech at the Thomas Assembly Center.

Louisiana (1-10) kept things close early and briefly held the lead in the opening two minutes, but a 12:14 stretch without a field goal allowed Louisiana Tech (6-3) to use a 20-3 first-half run to seize control. The Bulldogs led 31-19 at the break after holding Louisiana to 26 percent shooting (6-for-23) in the opening 20 minutes.

Louisiana Tech continued to apply pressure in the second half, extending its lead to 56-38 on DJ Dudley's 3-pointer with 9:02 remaining. The Bulldogs finished with 32 points in the paint and scored 11 fast-break points, building the margin to 21 in the final minute.

Dorian Finister led Louisiana with 14 points, connecting on a pair of 3-pointers, while Jaxon Olvera added nine points and three assists. Joshua Lewis chipped in six points off the bench for the Ragin' Cajuns with Todd Jones Jr., hauling in eight rebounds.

Louisiana was limited to 30 percent shooting from the field (15-for-50) and went 7-of-13 from the free-throw line. The Ragin' Cajuns were outrebounded 37-29 and managed six points in the paint for the game.

Louisiana Tech was led by AJ Bates with 23 points and eight assists, while Dudley added 19 points, including five 3-pointers. Kaden Cooper recorded a double-double for the Bulldogs with 10 points and 20 rebounds.

Louisiana returns to action on Thursday (December 18) when it opens Sun Belt Conference play at Southern Miss in a 7:30 p.m., contest. The Ragin' Cajuns will close out the road trip on Saturday (December 20) in a 2 p.m., contest at ULM.

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).

First-Half Scoring Drought Hurts Cajuns Against Tech, 65-44

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Team Stats

Dorian Finister

Jaxon Olvera

Joshua Lewis

De'Vion Lavergne

Players Mentioned

Dorian Finister

Todd Jones Jr.

Joshua Lewis

Jaxon Olvera

Players Mentioned

Dorian Finister

Todd Jones Jr.

Joshua Lewis

Jaxon Olvera

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