Little Rock’s Jack Stephens Center was put on a national stage for the first time Monday night, but its main tenant didn’t follow up with a performance worthy of such a spotlight.
Louisiana-Lafayette found open threes in the corners and spaces inside while holding UALR’s offense to a virtual standstill in a 69-52 Sun Belt Conference victory in front of a vocal crowd of 3,739 and a ESPN2 audience.
It was the Trojans’ first home loss to a Sun Belt team in 13 games and came against a Ragin’ Cajuns team that they beat three times on their way to the NCAA Tournament last season.
But the Trojans weren’t a match for the Sun Belt’s best offense this time, allowing the Ragin’ Cajuns to shoot 56.6 percent. It was UALR’s worst home loss since the Ragin’ Cajuns beat them 68-49 on Jan. 10, 2012.
“I thought Lafayette came in with the mentality that they had to have this game,” UALR Coach Wes Flanigan said. “They stayed patient with their offense, they got the looks that they wanted and they made them. They did a good job tonight. They were the better team.”
LA.-LAFAYETTE 69, UALR 52
That became evident about halfway through the first half. The Ragin’ Cajuns (10-5, 1-1), playing two days after a loss at Arkansas State, led 14-11 when a Johnathan Stovall basket sparked a string of nine consecutive points. Then, after a Marcus Johnson Jr. basket, Louisiana-Lafayette scored seven more to complete a 16-2 run capped by Bryce Washington’s driving dunk that made it 30-13 with 6:42 left in the half.
The lead grew to as much as 48-22 early in the second half and the Trojans didn’t string together consistent possessions until it was too late, when a 11-4 spurt got it to within 67-52 with 1:01 left.
Kemy Osse had 15 points, but no other player had more than Johnson’s 9 points. Johnson had his fourth rough shooting game in a row, making 3 of 15 shots, but he wasn’t alone. UALR started the game 3 of 14 from the floor and was 19 of 59 (32.2 percent) for game even though it outrebounded Lafayette 34-33 and had 10 turnovers, two fewer than the Cajuns.
But offense wasn’t what concerned Osse the most.
“I think it was defensively,” Osse said. “Any team that gets it going defensively, usually they can get a rhythm offensively. And tonight we didn’t have it on both sides. And we weren’t getting the toughness plays, like loose balls.”
Forward Lis Shoshi, one of several Trojans who watched easy baskets fall off the rim in the first half, had the same thoughts on a defense that gave up 15 points to Justin Miller, 14 to Frank Bartley and 13 to Washington.
Louisiana-Lafayette Coach Bob Marlin had his mind on defense, too, after his team allowed ASU to shoot 55.8 percent against the Cajuns in Saturday’s 74-71 loss in Jonesboro.
They entered Monday letting teams score 72.0 points per game and shoot 46.1 percent from the floor, last in the 12-team Sun Belt.
“We wanted this to be our best defensive game of the year,” he said. “And it was without a doubt.”
UALR never really made a threat after Louisiana-Lafayette outscored it 16-2 early, but it wasn’t for the lack of Flanigan’s adjustments, the main one being a different second-half lineup. Forwards Oliver Black and Stetson Billings started the half, replacing Jalen Jackson and Maurius Hill.
Flanigan said he thought there were bright spots after halftime, but it didn’t create much of a spark. The Trojans went scoreless on four possessions in a row as the Ragin’ Cajuns stretched the lead to 48-22.
SUN BELT MEN
ARKANSAS STATE 76, LOUISIANA-MONROE 45
Arkansas State won its second* Sun Belt Conference o̶p̶e̶n̶e̶r̶ game in dominating fashion at the Convocation Center in Jonesboro. The Red Wolves (10-4, 1̶-̶0̶ 2-0 Sun Belt) outscored the War Hawks (6-8, 0̶-̶1̶ 0-2) 44-19 in the second half, breaking open the game after they led 32-26 at halftime. ASU scored the first eight points of the second half to lead 40-26 at the 16:49 mark. After Louisiana-Monroe closed to 50-41 with 12:52 left, the Red Wolves outscored the War Hawks 34-3 over the next 10:36. The War Hawks finally broke the drought with a free throw by Sam Alabakis at the 1:49 mark.
For the game, Arkansas State shot 45.8 percent (27 of 59) from the floor while making 7 of 20 three pointers. They added 15 of 23 free throws. The Red Wolves outrebounded the War Hawks 48-32. Defensively, Arkansas State held Louisiana-Monroe to 31.6 percent shooting (18 of 57), including 4 of 21 on three pointers.
Devin Carter led the Red Wolves with 20 points while making 6 of 12 shots from the floor, including 4 of 8 three pointers.
Sports on 01/03/2017
*CORRECTION: The Arkansas State men’s basketball team defeated Louisiana-Monroe 76-45 on Monday night in Jonesboro. It was the Red Wolves’ second Sun Belt Conference victory and the Warhawks’ second conference loss. A previous version of this article misstated the teams’ Sun Belt records.