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Blue Raiders visit conference leader

http://dnj.midsouthnews.com/apps/pbc...501290307/1006
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By Adam Sparks
DNJ Staff Writer

LAFAYETTE, La. — Now that the Blue Raiders' bleeding seems to be stopped, they can go about making a run at a Sun Belt crown.

But just in time for MTSU to make a resurgent charge, it travels to the home of the most feared team in the league.

MTSU (13-7, 3-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a win at New Mexico State Thursday, but now faces a much tougher foe in defending Sun Belt champion Louisiana (11-7, 5-1) today at 7 p.m.

"We can't control other teams and how the schedule is because these are all tough games, but we just got a big road win, and we'll just try to get another at Lafayette," said MTSU sophomore Kyle Young.

"None of these will be easy, especially with (Mike) Dean out, but we're trying to share the ball and get back on track."

That track will be blocked by the most explosive team in the conference and one of the hottest.

The Ragin' Cajuns have won five straight since star senior guard Orien Greene returned from a leg injury, climbing to second place in the West Division they are picked to win.

UL, which defeated Western Kentucky 91-76 Thursday, features plenty of weapons, but not as many as the squad that beat MTSU in the semifinal game of the Sun Belt tournament last season.

"They're the league's most athletic team. I'm sure Western (Kentucky) tried to play up-and-down with them, and when you do that on their home floor, it's tough," said MTSU coach Kermit Davis. "With (UL), you just really have to be tempo conscious. The biggest thing there is that you can't let them score off your turnovers. You have to know when to take it, and when to play really good halfcourt offense.

"But they're not a real deep team. They've got about seven guys. They're athletic, but they're not playing 11 guys."

Depth had been the Blue Raiders' strength before Dean's injury thinned out the backcourt. And the Cajuns' high-tempo style puts additional pressure on the MTSU guards.

UL leads the league in steals and thrives in the open floor.

Guard Tiras Wade, a 2003 transfer from ETSU, ranks second in the Sun Belt in scoring (19.6) and is among the league's top 3-point shooters.

Meanwhile, Greene and forward Brian Hamilton are preseason All-Sun Belt selections. Greene averages 12.0 points, 4.7 assists and 2.7 steals per game. Hamilton leads the conference in offensive rebounds and ranks third in field-goal percentage.

Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders have not defeated the Cajuns in the Davis era in three tries.

MTSU has also never swept the road trip of New Mexico State and UL since joining the Sun Belt in 2000-01.

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MTSU Blue Raiders at Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

When: Today, 7 p.m.

Where: Cajundome

Radio: WMOT (89.5-FM), WBOZ (104.9-FM)

Series: UL leads 4-3

Last Meeting: UL 70, MTSU 66 (3/8/04)

MTSU (13-7, 3-3)

Probable Starters Ht. Class Pts. Reb.

G Bryan Smithson 5-11 So. 6.5 3.4

G Fats Cuyler 6-0 Jr. 5.5 2.0

F Michael Cuffee 6-5 Sr. 13.6 7.6

F Kyle Young 6-10 So. 5.1 3.8

C Steve Thomas 6-9 Sr. 10.2 6.5

UL (11-7, 5-1)

G Orien Greene 6-4 Sr. 12.0 4.7

G Tiras Wade 6-6 Jr. 19.6 6.1

G Dwayne Mitchell 6-5 Jr. 9.9 5.3

F Brian Hamilton 6-6 Sr. 13.4 7.9

C Chris Cameron 6-11 Sr. 7.5 3.6

Originally published January 29, 2005