LOUISIANA La. — If it was a wake-up call, it was a jarring one.

Louisiana’s 76-73 loss to South Alabama in Thursday night’s Sun Belt Conference home opener was the first setback in seven such tries under coach Jessie Evans, and it dropped the Ragin’ Cajuns to 10-3 in SBC Cajundome openers.

South Alabama was also the last team to pull it off, 96-92 in 1994.

Injury was added to insult on the final play of the night when forward Brian Hamilton hit the deck in a scramble for a loose ball and badly chipped a front tooth.

Now Evans has to get his team ready for the New Orleans Privateers, a team which downed New Mexico State 70-59 on the road Thursday night, for tonight’s 7:05 p.m. contest at the ’Dome.

“We have to get a little tougher,” Evans said. “We’re not as athletic inside, and we didn’t move fast when they were taking it to the basket. That’s what we’re going to face.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com