(From UL Sports Information and Matt Sullivan)

Shawn Long posted a double-double with 25 points and 14 rebounds to become the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns all-time leading rebounder, but Alabama sizzled from long range and held off a late rally for a 105-93 victory in a non-conference game on Friday at Coleman Coliseum.

Shannon Hale, Riley Norris and Justin Coleman scored 18 points each for Alabama (2-1), which shot 54 percent (32-for-59) from the floor and 15-for-25 (60.0 percent) from behind the 3-point line. Retin Obasohan added 17 points for the Crimson Tide with Arthur Edwards added 12 points and Dazon Ingram 10.

Long, who recorded the 54th double-double of his career, tipped in a Steven Wronkoski miss with 5:47 remaining to record his 1,065th career rebound and pass former Ragin’ Cajuns standout Roy Ebron (1,064 from 1971-73) as the school’s all-time leader. Long, who went 9-for-16 from the floor for Louisiana (1-2), increased his career total to 1,068 rebounds while moving to within three points of passing Graylin Warner (1,762, 1981-84) for sixth-place in school history.

Alabama, which eclipsed the 100-point mark for the first time in nearly two years, made its first eight shots from behind the 3-point line before missing its final three attempts in the opening half to take a 55-39 lead at halftime. The Crimson Tide trailed 5-4 after Long hit the first of three 3-pointers on the night, but went ahead for good, when Hale sank a 3-pointer for a 7-5 lead at the 18:48 mark.

Louisiana trailed 11-10 with 15:53 remaining in the first half after Long tapped in a Hayward Register miss from behind the 3-point line before Alabama made its next five shots in part of a 15-2 run that pushed the lead to 26-12.

Jimmie Taylor opened the spurt for the Crimson Tide with a bucket at the 15:45 mark before baskets by Obasohan, Hale and Ingram gave Alabama a 19-10 lead. The Crimson Tide added a pair of free throws by Obasohan at the 13:17 mark for a 21-10 lead before Cooper scored five straight points for Alabama, including a 3-pointer from the right wing for a 26-12 lead with 11:50 to play in the first half.

The Ragin’ Cajuns chipped away at the lead as they twice closed to the lead to seven – the last time when Kasey Shepherd sank a pair of free throws with 5:14 remaining in first half that cut the deficit to 36-29. Alabama then scored 12 of the next 14 points as 3-pointers by Hale and Coleman along with a layup by Coleman and two free throws by Norris gave the Crimson Tide a 48-31 lead.

A layup by Ingram with 1:25 left in the first half gave Alabama its biggest lead of the night, 53-34, and the Crimson Tide never let Louisiana get closer than nine points until the final minute after Shepherd sank two free throws and later added a layup.

Shepherd scored a season-high 17 points for Louisiana, which finished 28-for-61 (45.9 percent) from the floor and 11-for-27 (40.7 percent) from behind the 3-point line. Jay Wright added 11 points for the Ragin’ Cajuns with Jay Hedgeman coming off the bench to add 10 points and a season-high eight rebounds.

Louisiana will return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 25, when it plays host to in-state opponent Loyola at the Cajundome. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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