The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team heads north to face its longest-running rival on Tuesday when it faces in-state foe Louisiana Tech at the Thomas Assembly Center.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The game can be heard in the Lafayette area on KHXT 107.9-FM and ESPN 1420-AM, and also worldwide on the ESPN 1420 app.

Louisiana (7-2) returns to action for the first time since Dec. 6 after posting a 98-56 win over Loyola of New Orleans at the Cajundome. The meeting against Louisiana Tech (7-2) will be the 129th between the schools with the Ragin' Cajuns winning three of the past five contests.

JaKeenan Gant, who ranks in the top 10 among Sun Belt Conference players in scoring (16.3), rebounds (6.8), field goal percentage (.656) and blocked shots (2.4), scored a career-high 23 points to lead four players in double figures for the Ragin' Cajuns.

The Ragin' Cajuns face a Louisiana Tech squad that claimed a 91-62 win over Jackson State on Saturday and is 5-1 overall at home this season.


GAME 9: Louisiana (7-2) at Louisiana Tech (7-2)
Date / Time: December 12, 2017 / 6:30 p.m.
Site: Ruston, La.
Arena: Thomas Assembly Center (8,000)
Radio: KHXT 107.9 FM / ESPN 1420 AM
Talent: Jay Walker (pxp)

TV/Internet: CUSA.tv ($)
Live Stats: LATechSports.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB

Series History: Louisiana Tech leads, 69-59
At Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 37-22
At Ruston: Louisiana Tech leads, 42-15
Other Sites: Louisiana leads, 7-5
Streak: Louisiana +1

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Record at Louisiana: 135-106 (eighth season), Career Record: 483-272 (25th season)

LOUISIANA TECH
Head Coach: Eric Konkel (Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 2000)
Record at LA Tech: 53-22 (third season), Career Record: Same

STORY LINES
• Louisiana and Louisiana Tech continue their hardwood rivalry on Tuesday in Ruston when the schools meet for the 129th time.
• The 128-game series with Louisiana Tech is the longest in Ragin' Cajuns recorded history and ranks ahead of McNeese (93), Lamar (83), ULM (75), Arkansas State (74), Louisiana College (74) and Northwestern State (73).
• With 1,054 points scored in his career, Bryce Washington is one point shy of tying Marcus Stokes (1988-92) for 39th place in school history and six points from tying Blane Harmon (1998-01) for 38th place.
• With 841 career rebounds, Washington is two boards shy of passing Reginald Poole (1995-97) into fifth-place on the Ragin' Cajuns career list.
• Washington is ninth among active Division I players in total rebounds and tied for seventh in career double-doubles (28).
• Johnathan Stove, who scored a career-high 23 points at Nicholls, is 149 points shy of reaching the 1,000-point mark.

QUICK HITS
• Louisiana has surpassed the 100-point mark three times in 2017-18 - its best total since recording four 100-point games during the 2013-14 season.
• The Ragin' Cajuns 105 points at Nicholls was the first 100-point game on the road for Louisiana since Jan. 29, 2004 at Western Kentucky (W, 110-102).
• The Cajuns have won 13 straight games against in-state schools since a 91-79 loss at Louisiana Tech on Dec. 12, 2015.
• Louisiana is 8-2 overall in games in the month of December during the past two seasons.
• Louisiana has won 20 or more games in three of the past four seasons.
• Louisiana's 54 free throw attempts at Nicholls are the second-most by a Division I team this season (56, Wagner vs. Staten Island, Nov. 21).
• The Ragin' Cajuns 36 made free throws at Nicholls are the fifth-most in an NCAA Division I game this season (44, Wagner vs. Staten Island, Nov. 21).

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
• Louisiana Tech enters the game against Louisiana ranked 28th in the country in scoring offense (85.9) and 30th nationally in scoring margin (+16.1). The Bulldogs are 5-1 at the Thomas Assembly Center in 2017-18 with their lone loss coming to Stephen F. Austin (85-83) on Dec. 6.
• Jalen Harris (16.1), Jacobi Boykins (14.7), Daquan Bracey (14.3) and Derric Jean (10.2) all average in double figures for Louisiana Tech with Boykins pulling down a team-best 5.8 rebounds per game.
• The Bulldogs, who have shot 50 percent or better five times this season, opened the season with home wins over UT-Tyler, Southeast Missouri and Montana State before claiming wins over George Mason and Evansville in the Cancun Challenge.



LOUISIANA AC