Ragin’ Cajuns pull out 60-51 road win over scrappy Bobcats

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Greg Williams, Jr., scored 18 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, including five in a decisive 11-0 run, to lead the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns to a 60-51 Sun Belt Conference victory over short-handed Texas State on Saturday at Strahan Arena.

Jordan Brown scored 19 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds as Louisiana (16-4, 6-2 Sun Belt) earned its first-ever, four-game SBC road sweep and its first overall since the 1976-77 season went it went 5-0 with wins over Arkansas State, Houston Baptist (now Houston Christian), Chaminade and a pair of games at Hawaii.

The win over two-time defending SBC champion Texas State (10-11, 3-5 Sun Belt) kept Louisiana in a three-way tie for first in the league standings joining newcomers Southern Miss and Marshall.

Louisiana, which matched its win total from last season and held Texas State without a bucket for nearly eight minutes, won its sixth straight game and finished 5-3 on the road during a grueling 10-game stint. The Ragin’ Cajuns trailed 40-37 on Davion Sykes’ layup with 8:28 remaining before rallying to claim the lead and holding the Bobcats to 2-for-9 from the floor down the stretch.

Terence Lewis II sank a pair of free throws to Louisiana to cut the lead to 40-39 before a bucket by Brown with 6:42 left put the Ragin’ Cajuns ahead for good, 41-40. Brown would add a pair of free throws before Williams would score the next five points, first on a spinning layup before draining a 3-pointer for a 48-40 lead with 4:56 left.

Texas State, which was playing without leading scorer Mason Harrell, trailed early, 10-2, but hung around and took its first lead of the game (32-30) on Drue Drinnon’s bucket with 14:49 remaining.

The Bobcats extended their lead to three points on three occasions – the last on Sykes’ bucket – before Louisiana took control to earn its seventh win in San Marcos in 11 games.

Lewis scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds for Louisiana, which overcame a 20-for-47 performance from the floor and a 17-for-35 effort from the free throw line. Themus Fulks added six points for the Ragin’ Cajuns with Kentrell Garnett adding four as Louisiana was held to a season-low in points and free throw percentage (.486).

Jordan Mason led Texas State with 19 points and seven rebounds with Drinnon, Nate Martin and Tyrel Morgan scoring eight points each. Louisiana held the Bobcats to 17-for-44 (.386) from the floor and 1 of 5 from behind the 3-point line.

Louisiana will return home for its next four games – and seven of its last 10 – beginning on Thursday when it hosts Troy in a 7 p.m. contest at the Cajundome. The Ragin’ Cajuns will host then host Georgia Southern (Jan. 26) before battling Texas State (Feb. 2) and Marshall (Feb. 4).

Single-game tickets are available by visiting the Louisiana Athletics Box Office at the Cajundome, purchasing by visiting Account Manager. For more information call the Louisiana Athletics Box Office at the Cajundome at (337) 265-2104.