Cajuns Start Fast in 83-70 Win Over Coastal Carolina

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns roared out of the gate, scoring the game's first 14 points and defeated Coastal Carolina 83-70 before 3,697 fans at the Cajundome Thursday night.

JaKeenan Gant (6) and Marcus Stroman (5) scored eleven of the 14 points during the run before Coastal (13-14, 7-8 Sun Belt) got on the board with 16:01 to play.  The Cajuns led by as many as 19 points in the first half before taking a 39-24 lead into the locker room at the break.

The Cajuns' defense led the way, holding the Chanticleers to just 36% (8-22) in the first half.  Louisiana, meanwhile, converted 15-30 from the field in the first twenty minutes.

Gant led the Cajuns with 29 points in the contest, while Cedric Russell added 14 points and Stroman 13 along with a game high eight assists.

Louisiana(17-11, 8-7) increased the lead to as many as 23 points on a couple of occasions, the last at 59-36 after a Jerekius Davis layup with 11:39 to play.  But Coastal made a run, outscoring the Cajuns 15-4 over a two and a half minute span to get within seven points, 67-60 with 6:35 remaining.  But Gant hit a pair of free throws, Stroman made a layup and Davis hit a pair of freebies to the lead to 73-60 and Coastal never got closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Coastal shot 50% in the second half, but the Cajuns made 12-20 from the floor in the second half.  The Cajuns out rebounded the Chants, 31-30.  Davis led the Cajuns in that department with seven.

New Orleans freshman DeVante Jones led Coastal Carolina with 19 points, while Ebrima Dibba and Tyrell Gumbs-Frater scoring 14 points each.  After hitting twelve three pointers in the game earlier in Conway, the Chanticleers made just 4-18.  Zach Cuthbertson, the Chants' leading scorer at more than 18 per game, was held without a field goal and scored just six points before fouling out.

Louisiana hosts Appalachian State in the season's final home game this Sunday at 1:30 pm.  Seniors Gant, Stroman and Malik Marquetti will be honored prior to tipoff.