Early question marks found championship answers in the end.

LOUISIANA La. — When Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns woke up Wednesday morning, they found themselves basking in their first Sun Belt Conference title since 2000.

Tuesday’s 67-58 victory over New Orleans in the Sun Belt Tournament finals at Western Kentucky’s E.A. Diddle Arena capped a remarkable run to another 20-win season and an NCAA Tournament bid.

It’s a long way from the opening 79-45 loss to Georgia Tech in the Preseason NIT, but persistence paid big dividends.

“Everybody was focused from Day One,’’ said Antoine Landry, one of four seniors on the squad.

“We struggled during the season, and had some things we had to overcome, but in the end we got the job done.’’

Coach Jessie Evans’ team dealt with the season-long absence of center Michael Southall, welcomed transfers Dwayne Mitchell and Orien Greene into the mix and formed a winning chemistry as the campaign progressed.

The Cajuns were 12-3 in Sun Belt Conference play and the No. 1 seed in Bowling Green, but they still needed three wins in four days to clinch an NCAA berth.

They got that with style, first hammering South Alabama 84-58 in the quarterfinals by shooting 66.7 percent in a 45-26 first half and then holding off Middle Tennessee 70-66 despite 58 percent shooting by the Blue Raiders.

UL never trailed in the first two rounds, but fell behind UNO 10-2 with poor early shooting.

Typical of the team’s year-long resolve, though, the Cajuns fought back and led 33-30 at half on a 3-point basket by senior Brad Boyd.

“That shot didn’t really set the tone, but it was a good shot that put us up at halftime,’’ said Boyd, an All-Tournament selection. "We maintained that lead and got the victory."

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com