Louisiana Opens Homestand In Style, Tops Norfolk State, 63-54

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns used a 17-4 run to begin the second half and never trailed for the second straight game, topping Norfolk State, 63-54, Sunday afternoon at the Cajundome in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Dorian Finister led Louisiana (3-11) in scoring with 15 points. Milan Mejia had a season-high 12 – all from behind the 3-point line – while Jaxon Olvera added 11. Finister narrowly missed a double-double, gathering a season-high nine rebounds.

De'Vion Lavergne had a career-high eight assists to go with seven points and two steals for the Ragin' Cajuns, with Joshua Lewis adding seven points and redshirt freshman Karris Bilal five in his first appearance since the season-opener at Ball State on November 3.

Jordan Leaks had four 3-pointers and led Norfolk State (6-10) with 16 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Anthony McComb III had 11 points for the Spartans, the defending MEAC Tournament champions who were playing their eighth straight game away from home.

Louisiana led 10-9 five minutes into the contest, but outscored Norfolk State 10-3 over the next six minutes to extend the lead to eight, 20-12, on a bucket by Finister. The Spartans then went on a 9-1 run to close to within 21-20 with 5:40 remaining in the first half, with My'kel Jenkins scoring five straight points. But Lavergne answered with five straight points of his own as Louisiana went into the locker room with a 33-25 advantage.

The Ragin' Cajuns used a stifling defense early in the second half, as Norfolk State missed eight of its first 10 shots in the second half and turned it over three times. Louisiana would capitalize and build its biggest lead of the game, 50-29, on a free throw by Olvera with 13:08 to play.

Mejia, who was 4-for-8 from behind the 3-point line, hit a pair of shots from behind the 3-point arc to highlight Louisiana's decisive run to open the second half.

Norfolk State chipped away at the lead, closing to 53-44 on a pair of free throws by Jenkins with 6:15 left, but a jumper by Olvera, two free throws by Finister, and a fast break layup by Bilal pushed the lead to 59-44 with 4:18 remaining.

Louisiana held Norfolk State to 17-for-54 (.315) from the floor – its third straight opponent to finish under 36 percent from the floor and second-lowest mark allowed this season. The Ragin' Cajuns recorded 15 assists on their 21 field goals for the game while forcing 10 turnovers.

The win opened a five-game homestand for Louisiana, which will be back in action Wednesday, December 31, when it entertains South Alabama in a Sun Belt Conference game. The New Year's Eve contest will begin at 12 noon.

Single-game tickets for all Louisiana home games are available at RaginCajuns.com.

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).

Louisiana Opens Homestand In Style, Tops Norfolk State, 63-54

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Team Stats

Dorian Finister

Milan Mejia

Jaxon Olvera

Joshua Lewis

Players Mentioned

Karris Bilal

Dorian Finister

De'Vion Lavergne

Joshua Lewis

Milan Mejia

Jaxon Olvera

Players Mentioned

Karris Bilal

Dorian Finister

De'Vion Lavergne

Joshua Lewis

Milan Mejia

Jaxon Olvera

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