University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Georgia State
Louisiana Basketball Preview: vs. Georgia State
1/28/2026 5:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Ragin' Cajuns open second half of SBC slate against rival Panthers
LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team opens the second half of its 2025-26 Sun Belt Conference schedule on Thursday when it welcomes rival Georgia State in a White Out game at the Cajundome.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 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 are available at RaginCajuns.com and all fans are encouraged to wear white to the game.
Louisiana (5-16, 3-6 SBC) returns to action for the first time in a week after a late-scoring drought was too much in a 72-58 setback at App State. The Ragin' Cajuns allowed 13 3-pointers against the Mountaineers – the second-most allowed this season – while shooting 6 of 25 from behind the 3-point line.
Dorian Finister (13.9 ppg.) and Jaxon Olvera (11.4) are the top two scorers for Louisiana. De'Vion Lavergne is next in scoring for Louisiana at 8.0 points per game while leading the team in assists (2.9).
Georgia State (9-12, 6-3 SBC) started the season 1-9 before winning eight of its last 11, including four straight. The Panthers capped off a home sweep last weekend, defeating both Southern Miss and Arkansas State to move to within two games of league-leading Troy (15-6, 8-1 SBC).
Jelani Hamilton, the reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week, leads the league in both scoring (19.4) and steals (2.19) per game. Freshman Micah Tucker ranks second on the team in scoring at 12.6 points per game while leading the Panthers in minutes played (30.2).
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 22 PREVIEW – Louisiana (5-16, 3-6 SBC) vs. Georgia State (9-12, 6-3 SBC)
Date/Time: January 29, 2026 / 7 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 – Georgia State leads, 18-8
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 6-5
In Atlanta – Georgia State leads, 9-1
Neutral Sites – Georgia State leads, 4-1
Last 10 Games – Georgia State, 7-3
Streak – Georgia State +2
STORY LINES
• Louisiana opens the second half of its Sun Belt Conference schedule, hosting Georgia State at the Cajundome.
• Louisiana trails in the all-time series, 18-8, but holds a 6-5 advantage in games played at home.
• In conference games, Louisiana is ranked second in the league in scoring defense (68.6), with Georgia State ranked third (70.3).
• Georgia State has won seven of the last 10 meetings in the series, including a 94-70 victory in last season's game in Atlanta.
• Dorian Finister has scored in double figures in 11 of his last 12 games, averaging 16.2 points during that span.
QUICK HITS
• Six different players – Jamyron Keller (1), Jaxon Olvera (6), Dorian Finister (8), Joshua Lewis (3), Dariyus Woodson (1) and De'Vion Lavergne (1) – have led Louisiana in scoring in a game this season.
• Seven players have led the Ragin' Cajuns in rebounding this season with Finister (8), Todd Jones Jr. (6) and Olvera (4) leading the way.
• The Ragin' Cajuns' 85 points vs. ULM on Jan. 8 marked their first 80-point performance since scoring 82 at Georgia Southern on Feb. 5, 2025.
• The 85-point output was Louisiana's highest in the Cajundome since an 86-60 win over Bowling Green on Feb. 11, 2023.
• Louisiana made a season-high 15 3-pointers in a single-game record 42 attempts in a 59-56 win at South Alabama on Jan. 17.
• The Ragin' Cajuns' +17 rebounding margin vs. ULM was their largest since a 49-30 (+19) advantage over South Alabama on Feb. 3, 2024.
• Dorian Finister ranks seventh in the Sun Belt in minutes played (32.6 mpg) and 19th in free throw percentage (.747).
• In Sun Belt Conference play, Finister is ninth in the league in field goal percentage (.460), 12th in scoring (16.6) and 11th in 3-pointers made per game (2.3).
• De'Vion Lavergne's 2.9 assists per game rank 17th among SBC players.
• Lavergne is ninth in assists (3.6) in SBC games, with his 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio in league games ranked second.
• Todd Jones Jr., is 10th among SBC players in blocked shots (22) and 11th in blocks per game (1.0).
• Eight teams on Louisiana's 2025-26 schedule competed in the 2025 postseason: McNeese (NCAA), UNCW (NCAA), Norfolk State (NCAA), Troy (NCAA), Tulane (CBC), Stanford (NIT), Santa Clara (NIT), and Arkansas State (NIT).
UP NEXT
• Louisiana will host Georgia Southern on Saturday (Jan. 31) in a 3 p.m. contest before traveling to Harrisonburg, Va., to face James Madison on February 4.
• The Ragin' Cajuns return home on February 7, hosting Central Michigan in the second round of the 2025-26 MAC-SBC Challenge at the Cajundome. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m.
