If you weren’t inside the Cajundome on Thursday night, you might have missed one of the best games of the season. The twists and turns throughout the contest had you gripped to the edge of your seat. After surrendering a 15-point lead, the Cajuns came back from the dead in the final moments to beat Georgia State 80-78.
How It Happened:
After an early back-and-forth between the two teams, Louisiana started to get hot after the first media timeout with a 9-0 run that ended with a layup from Mylik Wilson. The Cajuns really started to pull away though after a Dou Gueye turnaround jumper gave them a 15-point lead with 8:35 left in the first half.
However, Georgia State started to fire back late in the first half, getting within six points at the half after four straight points from Jalen Thomas, cutting the deficit to 43-37 as both teams headed to the locker room.
The Panthers carried that momentum well into the second half with a 14-2 run, taking a seven-point lead with 13:15 left in regulation. The Cajuns were able to stay in it thanks to a combination of solid free-throw shooting and a pair of clutch three-pointers from Cedric Russell. After a pair of made free throws from Kane Williams tied things up at 78, Mylik Wilson came up huge with a layup to take an 80-78 lead with 1.9 seconds left in the game. The Panthers tried to set up a last-second shot with a pass down the court that was stolen and sealed the deal for the Cajuns.
Big Number: 19
The Cajuns at the charity stripe was absolutely crucial down the stretch, going 19-of-20 on free throws. Georgia State was solid as well, but with the fact that there were a large number of fouls on them really helped them make it a lot more competitive.
Player of the Game: Jalen Johnson.Cedric Russell
The Baton Rouge product Jalen Johnson put together another solid performance on Thursday night, racking up a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards. You’ve also got to give credit to Russell as well, especially with his back-to-back threes in the final moments.
Next Up: Saturday vs Georgia Southern; Tipoff at 7 pm