Louisiana returned home after winning the 2022 Asheville Championship to face an in-state foe in Louisiana Tech. Five Cajuns landed in double figures to win the game 94-88 and improve to a perfect 4-0 on the young season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
In the early portion of the game, both Louisiana and Louisiana Tech traded points with some bad possessions mixed in. The Bulldogs led 10-9 at the 15:45 mark, with Cobe Williams leading Tech scorers with four.
Both teams went cold at the under-12 timeout. The Bulldogs were shooting one of their last seven and the Cajuns were held scoreless for 3:09 and Tech led 20-14 with 10:39 left in the first half.
Over the next five minutes, Louisiana went three for their last 13, including one for seven. At the 5:06 mark, the Bulldogs still led the Cajuns 28-24.
The Cajuns and Louisiana Tech kept battling and trading points throughout the first half. Keaston Willis from the Bulldogs led all scorers with nine, while Kentrell Garnett led the Cajuns with eight. At the half, Louisiana trailed Louisiana Tech 42-35.
Over the first eight minutes of the second half, Louisiana outscored Tech 19-18 to put it at 60-54 in favor of the Bulldogs. The Cajuns have had a cold night, shooting just 47% from the field compared to the Bulldogs’ 57%.
Louisiana closed the gap to 72-68 at the 7:38 mark of the contest. The Cajuns had a 7-0 run to tighten the gap with Terence Lewis II being the catalyst for the run.
Louisiana stormed to a 78-75 lead, outscoring Louisiana Tech 10-3 over the next four minutes of the game. Jordan Brown, Lewis, and Garnett have combined for 48 for the Cajuns.
Over the final four minutes of the contest, the Cajuns outscored Louisiana Tech 16-13 to hang on and win 94-88.
BIG NUMBER: 16
The big difference in the game was the margin in second-chance points. The Cajuns were able to score 25 off second chances while Louisiana Tech only had nine.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Terence Lewis II
Lewis led the Cajuns tonight with 23 points on 9-11 shooting from the field. The North Texas transfer also added 12 rebounds in the win.
UP NEXT: The Cajuns will travel to SMU Tuesday night to play the Mustangs. Tipoff from Dallas is set for 7:30 p.m.