Shawn Long set season highs for points and rebounds and moved into sixth place on the all-time scoring list as Louisiana ran past Loyola (NO) 106-64 at the Cajundome Wednesday night

Long scored 25 points on 8-13 shooting from the field and hauled in 16 rebounds in just 26 minutes as the Cajuns evened their record at 2-2 on the season.  It was listed as an exhibition game for Loyola (4-3).

Long was one of five Cajuns to reach double figures as Jay Wright tallied 13 points, while Johnathan Stove and Tyrone Wooten added eleven points each and Devonte Walker chipped in ten.

The Cajuns went with a bigger lineup to start the game with Long at center, Walker at the power forward and Jay Hedgeman (eight points) at the small forward.  Stove played at the shooting guard to start the game.  Bryce Washington, who started the first three games for the Cajuns, did not dress because of a knee injury.  Hayward Register came off the bench for the first time this season.

Johnny Griffin, Jr. led the Wolf Pack with 21 points, hitting 10-14 from the field.  Nate Pierre and Jalen Gray were the other double digit scorers for Loyola.

The Cajuns never trailed as Long scored on a three point play to start the contest, ehich moved him past Graylin Warner (1,762 points, 1980-84) into sixth place on the all-time scoring list.  Griffin answered with a layup, but then the Cajuns went on a 17-3 run to make the score 20-5 with 14:36 left in the first half.  The Wolf Pack scored 14 of the game's next 20 points to cut the lead to 26-19 just under nine minutes left, but Louisiana went on a 10-0 run to extend the lead to 17 points, where it remained at halftime, 50-33.

The Cajuns then shot 61.3% in the second half, while holding the Wolf Pack to 23.8%.  The Cajuns' lead never got below 20 points after the 17:38 mark when Long hit his second three point basket of the game.

All twelve Cajuns who saw action scored in the game and nine different players hit a three point basket as the Cajuns shot 42.3% (11-26) from three point range and made 23-32 free throws.

The Cajuns also distributed the ball well, registering 22 assists against 14 turnovers in the contest, with ten different players getting at least one assist.  Stove and Wooten had four each to lead the Cajuns in that department.

Louisiana will take a break for the Thanksgiving holiday and will head into a stretch where they play seven of their next ten contests away from home.  That stretch begins next Thursday when the Cajuns open up Sun Belt play against Louisiana-Monroe at Fant-Ewing Coliseum as part of a doubleheader featuring the men's and women's teams.

 

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