Randell Daigle came off the bench and led Louisiana with 14 points in Saturday's season opener with Southern Miss at the Cajundome. USM used an 8-0 run inside of 15 minutes to break free from a two-point lead.

Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team was within two points with 15 minutes remaining in Saturday's season opener with Southern Miss at the Cajundome until the visitors used an 8-0 run to open a 10-point lead that created enough breathing room in a 79-72 victory.

Following the 15-minute media timeout, Angel Johnson buried a three-pointer at 14:17. Following a pair of scoreless possessions from UL, the Golden Eagles added free throws from Horton at 13:57 and a scoop layup by Johnson as he was fouled at 13:20 for a 47-38 advantage. He completed the three-point lay with a freebie for the first double-digit lead of the game by either team.

Lamar Roberson provided a spark for the Cajuns (0-1), scoring the team's next four baskets and 10 points. However, Louisiana could not get a defensive stop and USM (1-0) maintained its double-figure lead at 58-48 with 9:54 left to play.

The USM lead teetered between 10 and 12 points until Chris Gradnigo hit a triple on the right wing at 3:36 dropped it to single digits. Louisiana closed within six points, 73-67, at 2:31, on a Courtney Wallace free throw make. Wallace spun through the lane for a layup at 1:49 that cut the deficit to 73-69.

Maurice Bolden made two freebies for the Golden Eagles with 1:24 remaining to bring the lead back to six points and following a missed field goal by UL on the ensuing possession Horton made a free throw with 52 ticks left for a 76-69 edge.

Daigle rushed to the basket following the make and drew contact as he made the layup with 45 seconds on the clock. He made the free throw to make it 76-72. UL couldn't produce on its next three possessions and USM finished off the win at the charity stripe.

Daigle and Roberson led Louisiana with 14 points off the bench. Daigle moved within four points of reaching 500 in his career with the performance.

USM placed three players in double figures led by a game-high 20 points from R.L. Horton.

The Golden Eagles held a distinctive advantage in free throw makes (27-12) and attempts (39-23). USM outrebounded the Cajuns 40-20 as the Cajuns went nearly 10 minutes second half without a rebound.

Louisiana began the game on an 8-3 run in the first 3:25, getting triples from Travis Bureau and Tyren Johnson along the way. UL's defense mystified the Golden Eagles holding them scoreless from 15:40 through 12:20. Gradnigo hit a leaner in the lane over a defender at 12:38 to up the Cajuns lead to 14-7.

Trailing 17-12, USM rolled off a 7-0 run to climb in front 19-17. The Cajuns went cold from the 11-minute media timeout through seven-minute timeout, shooting only 1-of-8. Daigle broke a four-plus minute scoring drought for UL with a jumper in the left wing at 5:49 and USM's lead was 21-19.

The Golden Eagles lead jumped to five on a Bolden triple in the left corner at 5:21.Wallace score baskets on back-to-back possessions inside of four minutes to cut the deficit to 26-25 by 2:46.

Horton knocked down a triple on the right elbow at 1:41 to increase the lead to four points (29-25) and provide enough cushion for a three-point lead at the break (31-28).

The teams swapped three point makes in the first 1:35 of the second stanza and USM's lead remained three points.Bureau and Wallace made baskets in the 16-minute mark to close the Cajuns' deficit to 40-38.

The Ragin' Cajuns continue their season-opening, three-game homestand on Monday, Nov. 16 hosting Louisiana College at the Cajundome. Game time is set for 7:15 p.m., or 30 minutes following the completion of the women's game against LSU-Shreveport.

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