University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Monday, November 2
Lafayette
7:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
0-1,0-0Sun Belt
61
vs
75
Akron
1-0,0-0MAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | 46 | 29 | 75 |
| Louisiana | 29 | 32 | 61 |
11/2/2026 10:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Louisiana shoots 29 percent against three-time defending MAC Tourney champs
LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns rallied from a 19-point second-half deficit, but a cold shooting night proved too much to overcome as Akron claimed a 75-61 victory Monday in the Sun Belt-MAC Challenge season opener for both teams at the Cajundome.
Akron, the three-time defending MAC Tournament champion, never trailed after scoring the game's first eight points. Ty Pence led three Zips in double figures with 19 points, while preseason All-MAC second-team selections Evan Mahaffey and Tahj Steveskie added 16 points apiece to lead Akron (1-0).
Louisiana (0-1) also had three players reach double figures, led by Jamyron Keller's game-high 26 points. Newcomers Dani Pounds and Trent Middleton Jr. added 15 and 14 points, respectively, in their Cajuns debuts.
Akron controlled the boards with a 45-29 advantage, led by Mahaffey's 11 rebounds to complete a double-double. Pence added nine rebounds for the Zips. Louisiana, playing without starting forward Todd Jones Jr., was led by Pounds with seven rebounds, while Mikhail Dulkay grabbed six in his first NCAA appearance after coming to the United States from Russia.
After falling behind 26-13 midway through the first half, Louisiana responded with a 9-0 run to pull within 26-22 at the 7:44 mark. The Cajuns trimmed the deficit to five, 33-28, on a Keller 3-pointer with less than five minutes remaining, but Akron closed the half with a 13-1 run to take a 46-29 advantage into the break.
The Zips pushed their lead to 19 points on three occasions in the second half before Louisiana mounted another charge. A Keller 3-pointer capped a 13-4 run that pulled the Cajuns within 59-49 with 9:30 remaining.
After Steveskie answered with a 3-pointer, Keller and Pounds connected from beyond the arc on consecutive possessions to cut the deficit to seven, 64-57, with just under seven minutes to play. Akron responded with a 7-0 run to regain control and secure the victory.
Louisiana forced 16 turnovers while committing just seven of its own, translating into a 22-13 advantage in points off turnovers. However, the Cajuns were unable to overcome Akron's 26-16 edge in points in the paint and the Zips' advantage on the glass.
The Cajuns will return to action on Friday when they play host to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (0-1) at 7 p.m.
Season tickets for the 2026-27 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).
Akron, the three-time defending MAC Tournament champion, never trailed after scoring the game's first eight points. Ty Pence led three Zips in double figures with 19 points, while preseason All-MAC second-team selections Evan Mahaffey and Tahj Steveskie added 16 points apiece to lead Akron (1-0).
Louisiana (0-1) also had three players reach double figures, led by Jamyron Keller's game-high 26 points. Newcomers Dani Pounds and Trent Middleton Jr. added 15 and 14 points, respectively, in their Cajuns debuts.
Akron controlled the boards with a 45-29 advantage, led by Mahaffey's 11 rebounds to complete a double-double. Pence added nine rebounds for the Zips. Louisiana, playing without starting forward Todd Jones Jr., was led by Pounds with seven rebounds, while Mikhail Dulkay grabbed six in his first NCAA appearance after coming to the United States from Russia.
After falling behind 26-13 midway through the first half, Louisiana responded with a 9-0 run to pull within 26-22 at the 7:44 mark. The Cajuns trimmed the deficit to five, 33-28, on a Keller 3-pointer with less than five minutes remaining, but Akron closed the half with a 13-1 run to take a 46-29 advantage into the break.
The Zips pushed their lead to 19 points on three occasions in the second half before Louisiana mounted another charge. A Keller 3-pointer capped a 13-4 run that pulled the Cajuns within 59-49 with 9:30 remaining.
After Steveskie answered with a 3-pointer, Keller and Pounds connected from beyond the arc on consecutive possessions to cut the deficit to seven, 64-57, with just under seven minutes to play. Akron responded with a 7-0 run to regain control and secure the victory.
Louisiana forced 16 turnovers while committing just seven of its own, translating into a 22-13 advantage in points off turnovers. However, the Cajuns were unable to overcome Akron's 26-16 edge in points in the paint and the Zips' advantage on the glass.
The Cajuns will return to action on Friday when they play host to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (0-1) at 7 p.m.
Season tickets for the 2026-27 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).
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballTeam Stats
UA
LA
FG%
.460
.286
3FG%
.345
.321
FT%
.826
.727
RB
45
29
TO
16
7
STL
2
8
Game Leaders
Pts
26
FGM
8
3FGM
4
FTM
6
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
5
FGM
0
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Tuesday, November 03
Tuesday, November 03
Wednesday, October 28
Sunday, February 22
