League-Leading MTSU Too Much for Cajuns, 82-60

Kerry Hammonds scored 27 points and Middle Tennessee hit ten three point shots Saturday night en route to an 82-60 win over Louisiana in front of 5,220 at Monte Hale Arena at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Hammonds made 10-11 shots from the field, including 6-7 from three point range to lead the Blue Raiders (16-4, 8-1 Sun Belt) to their fifth straight win.

Senior guard Raymond Cintron also hit four threes to score 12 points for MTSU.

Shawn Long scored 21 points and added 13 rebounds to lead the Cajuns (7-14, 3-6).  It was the freshman's league leading twelfth double double of the year.  Elfrid Payton added 14 points.

The Raiders led 16-13 with just under eleven minutes to go in the first half. but then went on a 19-2 run to establish a 35-15 lead just eight minutes later.  Hammond had eight of his points during that stretch.

The Cajuns trailed 41-21 at the break.

Louisiana cut the lead to 14 on several occasions in the second half, the last at the 12:40 mark after a three point basket by Alan-Michael Thompson.  But Hammonds and Citron hit back to back triples to extend the lead back to 20 just 46 seconds later.  The duo struck again for two more from beyond the arc, extending the lead to 26 before the Cajuns scored again.

The Cajuns will now play six of their next eight games at home, beginning next Thursday night when they host Florida International at the Cajundome.