Head coach Bob Marlin and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns men’s basketball team began their 2024-25 campaign on a high note on Monday. Their first opponent was Kent State as the Vermilion and White fell to the Golden Flashes 70-66.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
On the game’s first possession, Cajun guard Christian Wright got the steal and found Kentrell Garnett for the open three-pointer. Louisiana and Kent State turned the ball over four times and missed five shots before Garnett hit a baseline jumper at the 16:42 mark of the first half.
Wright knocked down a couple of free throws and London Fields made a three to put the Cajuns up 10-0. The Golden Flashes didn’t score their first points until they were six minutes into the ball game as VonCameron Davis made both his free throw attempts and scored their first basket on a transition layup by Jamal Sumlin.
The Golden Flashes cut it to a three-point game with an 8-3 run with Louisiana’s Michael Thomas and Kent State’s Jalen Sullinger trading three-pointers midway into the half. The Cajuns then went on a 9-3 run of their own, highlighted by Garnett’s second shot from downtown and a layup by Wright to go up 24-15 with 7:42 before halftime.
A couple of Magnus Entenmann layups gave Kent State their first lead and Morgan Safford knocked down a three. Neither team made a shot in the final 1:52 but the Cajuns went into the locker room down 30-27 after giving up a 15-3 run.
The first few minutes of the second half were back-and-forth as Kyndall Davis gave Louisiana the lead with a put-back layup. Zeke Cook then caught fire, knocking down two straight shots and then Garnett made another three, which Kent State to call a timeout and put the Cajuns up by four.
Freshman Jeremiah Evans was fed on three straight possessions and was assisted on each play to give the Cajuns the nine-point advantage with 10:07 left in the second half.
Technical fouls were called after a dead ball which led to a free throw by Kent State. Davis and Cook made back-to-back shots from three-point range but Cian Medley and Safford responded to keep it a five-point difference with eight minutes to play.
Kent State took over in the final six minutes of the game. The Golden Flashes went on a 13-4 run as Medley and Cli’Ron Hornback attacked the midrange and paint. Sullinger concluded the run with a left-wing three to go up 66-60 with 2:15 left.
Coach Bob Marlin called a timeout and the Cajuns cut it to a two-point game with an and-one layup by Wright and a free throw from Davis. A loose ball foul on Davis gave Safford two more from the charity stripe. Wright made the open layup with less than 10 seconds to go but Safford knocked down a couple more free throws as Louisiana dropped their home opener 70-66.
BIG NUMBER: 27
It was a sloppy first game of the season as there were 27 turnovers by both teams, 16 by Kent State and 11 by Louisiana. 21 points were scored off those turnovers.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Morgan Safford
The senior guard scored 15 points on 4-13 shooting but was 5-6 from the free-throw line and grabbed nine rebounds as the Cajuns fell 70-66 to the Golden Flashes.
UP NEXT: The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns men’s basketball team will return on Thursday, November 7th, to host the UT Dallas Comets. Tipoff inside the Cajundome will be at 7:00 and can be seen on ESPN+.