Program nails down first outright league title in 22 years

LOUISIANA La. — Perhaps they were just waiting to clinch it at home.

Louisiana broke open a close game with a feverish 14-0 second-half surge and rolled to an 82-62 victory over Arkansas State before 5,723 fans at the Cajundome Thursday, claiming a first-ever unshared regular-season crown in Sun Belt Conference play.

Coach Jessie Evans’ team was coming off a 2-3 road trip, including Monday’s 71-68 loss at North Texas with the crown on the line, but this time the Cajuns left no doubt.

“It was a rough road trip, and people were looking down on us,” said senior Brad Boyd, who had 14 points and five assists. “Saying we were tired is just an excuse. We didn’t execute in those games like we needed to.”

“We said in Denton that we don’t want another loss this year,” Evans said. “That will be tough to do, but it’s still possible for us to realize our dreams.”

The Cajuns’ dreams extend beyond the regular season, which ends with Saturday night’s Cajundome visit by Arkansas-Little Rock. That’s why the celebration was muted after Thursday’s victory.

“We didn’t cut down the nets tonight,” Dwayne Mitchell said. “We want the big nets in the Sun Belt Tournament. That’s why Saturday’s game is real big. We want to go into the tournament with a win.”

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com