Louisiana to host Georgia State ( TONIGHT )

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Ragin' Cajuns Look to Avenge Earlier Loss...

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns men’s basketball team hosts Georgia State Monday, Dec. 20 at the Cajundome as the two teams conclude a rare, non-conference home-and-home series with a 7:05 p.m., start.

The Cajuns (3-5) will be looking to avenge an earlier loss to the Panthers. GSU posted an 85-78 victory on Monday, Nov. 29 in Atlanta. The Panthers shot 72 percent from the field in the opening half – opening a 44-33 lead at halftime – and made 26-of-33 free throw attempts in the second half to hold off a late Cajuns’ rally.

Louisiana will be playing its first home game since Saturday, Dec. 4 and just its third such game of the season in the ninth game overall.

GSU (3-5) will be playing its first game of any sorts in the last 10 days, last taking the court on Saturday, Dec. 11 at Charlotte (L, 65-80).

The Cajuns are 2-0 at the Cajundome this season and have won their last eight games dating back to a 76-73 loss to South Alabama Jan. 15, 2004. Louisiana is just two wins shy of being the 15th current Division I school with a double-digit home winning streak.

GSU is 0-5 on the opposition’s court this season with three of those losses coming at Nevada, Kentucky and Charlotte.

LOUISIANA SI

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LOUISIANA La. -- Controlling an active frontline is important tonight if the Universisty of Louisiana at Lafayette wants to end a three-game losing streak.

Georgia State's frontcourt averages 44 points against a UL defense that has allowed an average of 83 points in its last four losses.

UL hopes to avenge an 85-78 loss Nov. 29 at Georgia State when the teams meet at the Cajundome at 7:05 p.m. today.

The Cajuns (3-5) have lost all of their games on the road.

UL is 2-0 at the Cajundome after winning the opener against Louisiana Tech at LSU's Louisiana Classic Baskeetball Tournament Nov. 19.

The Cajuns' last two losses have come at Kansas (96-51) and North Carolina State (78-72), a pair of teams that were ranked in the top 15.

Georgia State starting forward Marcus Brown (16.6 points per game), guard-forward Kevin Thomas (11.8) and junior forward Tikayo Barnett (11.4) are the Panthers' key scorers.

The Panthers have also gotten 5.3 points per game from 6-foot-9 center Sylvester Morgan.

Morgan has 20 blocked shots, while Brown is averaging 60 percent from the field along with 5.6 rebounds.

Easy baskets from GSU's frontcourt helped account for the Panthers' 62 percent shooting from the field in the win over the Cajuns.

UL's offense will again be without starting point guard Orien Greene (13.1 points, 23 steals), who suffered a lower leg fracture at Kansas.

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By BOBBY ARDOIN
Special to The Advocate