University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Wednesday, December 31
Lafayette
12:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
3-12,1-2Sun Belt
58
vs
63
South Alabama
11-4,2-1Sun Belt
1
2
F
South Alabama
31
32
63
Louisiana
30
28
58
Louisiana Not Able To Close Out Jaguars In SBC Clash, 63-58
12/31/2025 3:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Ragin' Cajuns to continue homestand on Saturday in noon showdown with USM
LAFAYETTE – Adam Olsen's go-ahead bucket in the final minute fueled a 9-0 run over the final 1:28 and lifted South Alabama to a 63-58 Sun Belt Conference win over the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns on Wednesday at the Cajundome.
Olsen added a pair of free throws late to cap a 26-point performance as South Alabama (11-4, 2-1 SBC) won its third straight game over Louisiana (3-12, 1-2 SBC) dating back to last season. Chaze Harris added 12 points for the Jaguars while Randy Brady grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
Louisiana took a 46-44 lead on Jaxon Olvera's 3-pointer with 8:56 remaining and 51-49 on a bucket by Dorian Finister with 5:17 left. The Ragin' Cajuns led by four points – their largest of the game – three times in the final 4:14 beginning with two free throws by Finister before an Olvera 3-pointer gave Louisiana a 56-52 lead with 2:34 left.
Olsen, who finished 7-for-13 from the floor and 10-for-10 from the free throw line, cut Louisiana's lead to 56-54 on a step-back jumper in the paint with 2:12 left before Olvera gave the Ragin' Cajuns a 58-54 lead with a turnaround jumper in the lane with 1:44 remaining.
South Alabama would begin its final run when Brian Hawthorne sank a 3-pointer – his only bucket of the game – to close the gap to 58-57 with 1:28 remaining before Harris got a steal on Louisiana's ensuing possession and found Olsen for his go-ahead bucket.
Trailing 59-58, Olvera and De'Vion Lavergne would each miss on long-range attempts for Louisiana and Brady would convert both free throws on a 1-and-1 to extend the Jaguars' lead to 61-58.
Louisiana would turn the ball over on its next possession, and Olsen would seal the win with two free throws with 7.1 seconds left.
Olvera came off the bench to score 18 points with a career-high seven assists to lead Louisiana, going 6-for-18 from the floor with a career-high five 3-pointers. Finister scored 17 points, finishing 5-for-10 from the floor with three 3-pointers for the Ragin' Cajuns while pulling down six rebounds.
Louisiana made a season-high 13 3-pointers in 40 attempts (one off the school record) against the Jaguars' zone defense, with Olvera (5), Finister (3) and Joshua Lewis (3) leading the team. The Ragin' Cajuns finished 20-for-57 (.351) overall from the floor, including 10-for-26 (.385) in the second half after going 10-for-31 (.323) in the opening 20 minutes.
The Ragin' Cajuns will return to action on Saturday when they continue their five-game homestand with a rematch against Southern Miss. Tipoff is scheduled for noon with the game broadcast 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).
Olsen added a pair of free throws late to cap a 26-point performance as South Alabama (11-4, 2-1 SBC) won its third straight game over Louisiana (3-12, 1-2 SBC) dating back to last season. Chaze Harris added 12 points for the Jaguars while Randy Brady grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
Louisiana took a 46-44 lead on Jaxon Olvera's 3-pointer with 8:56 remaining and 51-49 on a bucket by Dorian Finister with 5:17 left. The Ragin' Cajuns led by four points – their largest of the game – three times in the final 4:14 beginning with two free throws by Finister before an Olvera 3-pointer gave Louisiana a 56-52 lead with 2:34 left.
Olsen, who finished 7-for-13 from the floor and 10-for-10 from the free throw line, cut Louisiana's lead to 56-54 on a step-back jumper in the paint with 2:12 left before Olvera gave the Ragin' Cajuns a 58-54 lead with a turnaround jumper in the lane with 1:44 remaining.
South Alabama would begin its final run when Brian Hawthorne sank a 3-pointer – his only bucket of the game – to close the gap to 58-57 with 1:28 remaining before Harris got a steal on Louisiana's ensuing possession and found Olsen for his go-ahead bucket.
Trailing 59-58, Olvera and De'Vion Lavergne would each miss on long-range attempts for Louisiana and Brady would convert both free throws on a 1-and-1 to extend the Jaguars' lead to 61-58.
Louisiana would turn the ball over on its next possession, and Olsen would seal the win with two free throws with 7.1 seconds left.
Olvera came off the bench to score 18 points with a career-high seven assists to lead Louisiana, going 6-for-18 from the floor with a career-high five 3-pointers. Finister scored 17 points, finishing 5-for-10 from the floor with three 3-pointers for the Ragin' Cajuns while pulling down six rebounds.
Louisiana made a season-high 13 3-pointers in 40 attempts (one off the school record) against the Jaguars' zone defense, with Olvera (5), Finister (3) and Joshua Lewis (3) leading the team. The Ragin' Cajuns finished 20-for-57 (.351) overall from the floor, including 10-for-26 (.385) in the second half after going 10-for-31 (.323) in the opening 20 minutes.
The Ragin' Cajuns will return to action on Saturday when they continue their five-game homestand with a rematch against Southern Miss. Tipoff is scheduled for noon with the game broadcast 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).
Team Stats
USA
LA
FG%
.444
.351
3FG%
.333
.325
FT%
.850
.714
RB
35
29
TO
11
8
STL
4
3
Game Leaders
Pts
18
FGM
6
3FGM
5
FTM
1
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
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