Louisiana Holds On For Tough Road Win In San Marcos

The Ragin' Cajuns needed to bounce back after two tough losses at home, and they got things back on the right track on the road in San Marcos.

Texas State led the Sun Belt Conference in scoring defense heading into Saturday's game, but Louisiana lit them up for the highest point total they allowed all season long. The Bobcats tried to make a late run to steal back the win, but Louisiana held on for a 79-73 victory in conference play.

Senior leader Jay Wright led all scorers with 23 points (8-12 FG), and his backcourt mate Frank Bartley IV chipped in 20 points to lead the charge for Louisiana. Bartley got hot in the first half, and Wright picked up where he left off with 19 points in the second half.

Head Coach Bob Marlin gave Bartley some major credit for the 37-28 lead in the opening half.

"We wanted him to get off to a good start," Marlin said. "He helped us separate."

Justin Miller helped out as well, scoring the first seven points of the game and finishing with 17 for the game. Bryce Washington broke double-digits on the glass with 10 rebounds, but he fell three points short of collecting another double-double.

Scoring in another team's gym can be challenging at times, but the Cajuns had an excellent shooting night in San Marcos.

Louisiana shot over 50 percent from the floor (26-48 FG, 54.2%) and beyond the three-point line (7-13 3-pt, 53.8%), and they converted on tons of opportunities from the free throw line (20-23 FT, 87%). When you consider the fact Texas State only made four free throws all night, it's easy to argue the free throw line ended up being the difference in the game for Louisiana.

When a 15-point lead starts to evaporate on the road, some teams would panic. Marlin's Cajuns kept their cool and picked up a huge win in conference play, now it's time to pack up their bags and move onto Arlington for another big game on Monday.

The Ragin' Cajuns have a chance to pick up two wins in the state of Texas, a place where Marlin feels comfortable playing, especially Arlington.

"Traditionally, we play well there and hopefully we continue," Marlin said.

The win drew Louisiana's conference record back to even keel at 3-3, and another win would put them back on the winning side of things. Teams are still jockeying for position before the Sun Belt tournament, and another win could help the Ragin' Cajuns climb up the standings.