Final time in 'Dome Louisiana hopes to keep North Texas from another upset.

For a few seconds on Thursday night, Leonard Hopkins was the most popular person in the Sun Belt Conference for Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns.

Hopkins nailed a jump shot with 0.3 seconds remaining to lift North Texas over Denver 68-66 in Denton, dropping the Pioneers a game behind the Cajuns in the Western Division race with three games to play.

Then, of course, the Cajuns came back to earth and remembered that Hopkins and the Mean Green would be in the Cajundome tonight trying to spoil UL's Senior Night.

Since North Texas beat Denver, it has done something UL hasn't accomplished this season, adding another caution flag to tonight's home finale.

On the other hand, if the Cajuns play like they did in Thursday's 91-49 runaway over New Mexico State, it may not matter who the visitors are.

"I know we'll give tremendous effort," said UL coach Robert Lee, who will honor seniors Orien Greene, Brian Hamilton and Chris Cameron tonight.

"It's Senior Night, and it will be the last game for Orien and Brian, and could be the last for Dwayne Mitchell and Chris Cameron. It will be very difficult to see a group like that leave. They've had a lot of success here, and hopefully there's more to come."

The latest step in that legacy of success was Thursday's complete domination of New Mexico State, which brought the Cajuns (16-8, 10-2) a Sun Belt-record sixth straight league campaign with at least 10 wins.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com


A free throw to GEAUX, thanks ORIEN