University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, January 3
Lafayette
12:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
vs
Southern Miss
Louisiana Basketball Preview: vs. Southern Miss
1/2/2026 11:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Ragin' Cajuns look to even season series with Golden Eagles
LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team opens the 2026 portion of its schedule on Saturday when it plays host to Sun Belt Conference rival Southern Miss at the Cajundome.
Tipoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. The game will be available on ESPN+ with fans able to listen to the game in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app. Live results will be available at CajunStats.StatBroadcast.com.
Single-game tickets for all Louisiana home games are available at RaginCajuns.com.
Louisiana (3-12, 1-2 SBC) looks to get back in the win column and even its season series against USM (8-7, 2-1 SBC). The Ragin' Cajuns had their two-game win streak snapped on New Year's Eve in a 63-58 decision against South Alabama.
The Ragin' Cajuns, who were led by Jaxon Olvera's 18 points, led 58-54 with 1:44 remaining before the Jaguars scored the game's final nine points to salvage the win. Dorian Finister added 17 points and Joshua Lewis 11 as Louisiana sank a season-high 13 3-pointers in the contest.
Finister and Olvera have each scored 12.9 points per game to lead Louisiana with Finister grabbing a team-high 5.0 rebounds.
Southern Miss snapped a two-game losing streak with an 87-73 win at ULM on Thursday. Tylik Weeks upped his scoring average to 17.8 points per game after scoring 24 in the win over ULM on Thursday. Curt Lewis, Dylan Brumfield and Djahi Binet all went for 14 points — Binet added 14 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
The Golden Eagles defeated Louisiana, 62-54, in the Sun Belt opener for both teams on December 18 in Hattiesburg. Israel Hart dropped a season-best 17 points in the win for USM while Finister (20) and Olvera (12) combined for 32 to lead the Ragin' Cajuns.
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).
GAME 15 PREVIEW – Louisiana (3-12, 1-2 SBC) vs. Southern Miss (8-7, 2-1 SBC)
Date/Time: January 3, 2026 / 12 p.m.
Site: Lafayette, La.
Arena: Cajundome (12,362)
TICKETS
Single-game tickets are available at RaginCajuns.com
RADIO/TV
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Dan McDonald (pxp), Eric Mouton (color)
Radio: KPEL 96.5 FM/ The Varsity Network
Talent: Jay Walker (pxp)
LIVE STATS/SOCIAL MEDIA
Live Stats: CajunStats.StatBroadcast.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB | #GeauxCajuns
SERIES HISTORY
Overall - Southern Miss leads, 36-27
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 18-12
In Hattiesburg – Southern Miss leads, 24-8
Unknown Sites – Louisiana leads, 1-0
Last 10 – Southern Miss, 6-4
Streak – Southern Miss +1
STORY LINES
• Louisiana opens the 2026 portion of its schedule with a rematch against Sun Belt Conference rival Southern Miss at the Cajundome.
• USM claimed the previous meeting, 62-54, on December 18 in Hattiesburg.
• The game against Southern Miss is the third of five straight contests at the Cajundome for Louisiana.
• Louisiana is 3-4 overall against the Golden Eagles since USM joined the Sun Belt Conference for the 2022-23 season.
QUICK HITS
• In its last four games, Louisiana has held opponents to 67-for-189 (.354) from the floor and allowed 60.2 points per game.
• Louisiana's 76 points scored at ULM on December 20 was a season high.
• The win against ULM snapped Louisiana's 10-game losing streak - equaling its longest in school history and previously set in 1953-54.
• Dorian Finister is ninth in the league in minutes played (31.7) and 21st in free throw percentage (.737).
• De'Vion Lavergne's eight assists against Norfolk State were the most by a Ragin' Cajun in 2025-26.
• Louisiana leads the SBC in both field goal defense (.370) and scoring defense (62.3) through the first three games of league play.
• Louisiana is seventh in the SBC in 3-point field goal percentage (.346) in SBC games.
• Starting point guard Jamyron Keller (Oklahoma State transfer) has missed the last 13 games due to injury after averaging 17.0 points in games against Ball State and SLU.
• Working to find the right mix with both point guards Keller and Karris Bilal (Vanderbilt transfer) out to injury, Louisiana has used 11 different lineups in the first 15 games.
• Louisiana's average attendance (2,704) through six games is fifth in the Sun Belt Conference.
• Louisiana has 13 new players on the roster.
• Nine players hail from the state of Louisiana.
• Eight teams on Louisiana's 2025-26 schedule – McNeese (NCAA), UNCW (NCAA), Norfolk State (NCAA), Troy (NCAA), Tulane (CBC), Stanford (NIT), Santa Clara (NIT), Arkansas State (NIT) – competed in the 2025 postseason.
UP NEXT
• Louisiana closes out its five-game homestand next week with dates against ULM (Jan. 8) and Troy (Jan. 10) at the Cajundome.
• The Ragin' Cajuns will then head out on the road for four games beginning on Jan. 14 at Texas State.
Tipoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. The game will be available on ESPN+ with fans able to listen to the game in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app. Live results will be available at CajunStats.StatBroadcast.com.
Single-game tickets for all Louisiana home games are available at RaginCajuns.com.
Louisiana (3-12, 1-2 SBC) looks to get back in the win column and even its season series against USM (8-7, 2-1 SBC). The Ragin' Cajuns had their two-game win streak snapped on New Year's Eve in a 63-58 decision against South Alabama.
The Ragin' Cajuns, who were led by Jaxon Olvera's 18 points, led 58-54 with 1:44 remaining before the Jaguars scored the game's final nine points to salvage the win. Dorian Finister added 17 points and Joshua Lewis 11 as Louisiana sank a season-high 13 3-pointers in the contest.
Finister and Olvera have each scored 12.9 points per game to lead Louisiana with Finister grabbing a team-high 5.0 rebounds.
Southern Miss snapped a two-game losing streak with an 87-73 win at ULM on Thursday. Tylik Weeks upped his scoring average to 17.8 points per game after scoring 24 in the win over ULM on Thursday. Curt Lewis, Dylan Brumfield and Djahi Binet all went for 14 points — Binet added 14 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
The Golden Eagles defeated Louisiana, 62-54, in the Sun Belt opener for both teams on December 18 in Hattiesburg. Israel Hart dropped a season-best 17 points in the win for USM while Finister (20) and Olvera (12) combined for 32 to lead the Ragin' Cajuns.
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).
GAME 15 PREVIEW – Louisiana (3-12, 1-2 SBC) vs. Southern Miss (8-7, 2-1 SBC)
Date/Time: January 3, 2026 / 12 p.m.
Site: Lafayette, La.
Arena: Cajundome (12,362)
TICKETS
Single-game tickets are available at RaginCajuns.com
RADIO/TV
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Dan McDonald (pxp), Eric Mouton (color)
Radio: KPEL 96.5 FM/ The Varsity Network
Talent: Jay Walker (pxp)
LIVE STATS/SOCIAL MEDIA
Live Stats: CajunStats.StatBroadcast.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB | #GeauxCajuns
SERIES HISTORY
Overall - Southern Miss leads, 36-27
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 18-12
In Hattiesburg – Southern Miss leads, 24-8
Unknown Sites – Louisiana leads, 1-0
Last 10 – Southern Miss, 6-4
Streak – Southern Miss +1
STORY LINES
• Louisiana opens the 2026 portion of its schedule with a rematch against Sun Belt Conference rival Southern Miss at the Cajundome.
• USM claimed the previous meeting, 62-54, on December 18 in Hattiesburg.
• The game against Southern Miss is the third of five straight contests at the Cajundome for Louisiana.
• Louisiana is 3-4 overall against the Golden Eagles since USM joined the Sun Belt Conference for the 2022-23 season.
QUICK HITS
• In its last four games, Louisiana has held opponents to 67-for-189 (.354) from the floor and allowed 60.2 points per game.
• Louisiana's 76 points scored at ULM on December 20 was a season high.
• The win against ULM snapped Louisiana's 10-game losing streak - equaling its longest in school history and previously set in 1953-54.
• Dorian Finister is ninth in the league in minutes played (31.7) and 21st in free throw percentage (.737).
• De'Vion Lavergne's eight assists against Norfolk State were the most by a Ragin' Cajun in 2025-26.
• Louisiana leads the SBC in both field goal defense (.370) and scoring defense (62.3) through the first three games of league play.
• Louisiana is seventh in the SBC in 3-point field goal percentage (.346) in SBC games.
• Starting point guard Jamyron Keller (Oklahoma State transfer) has missed the last 13 games due to injury after averaging 17.0 points in games against Ball State and SLU.
• Working to find the right mix with both point guards Keller and Karris Bilal (Vanderbilt transfer) out to injury, Louisiana has used 11 different lineups in the first 15 games.
• Louisiana's average attendance (2,704) through six games is fifth in the Sun Belt Conference.
• Louisiana has 13 new players on the roster.
• Nine players hail from the state of Louisiana.
• Eight teams on Louisiana's 2025-26 schedule – McNeese (NCAA), UNCW (NCAA), Norfolk State (NCAA), Troy (NCAA), Tulane (CBC), Stanford (NIT), Santa Clara (NIT), Arkansas State (NIT) – competed in the 2025 postseason.
UP NEXT
• Louisiana closes out its five-game homestand next week with dates against ULM (Jan. 8) and Troy (Jan. 10) at the Cajundome.
• The Ragin' Cajuns will then head out on the road for four games beginning on Jan. 14 at Texas State.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballDe'Vion Lavergne and Joshua Lewis Media Availability (Jan 3, 2026)
Saturday, January 03
Quannas White Media Availability (Jan 3, 2026)
Saturday, January 03
Quannas White Media Availability (Dec 31, 2025)
Wednesday, December 31
Jaxon Olvera and Dorian Finister Media Availability (Dec 31, 2025)
Wednesday, December 31
