LAFAYETTE, La. – Rayjon Tucker registered a career-high 36 points, but a handful of extended Louisiana runs and another 40-point performance by an opposing player proved too much to handle as the Trojans fall to the Ragin' Cajuns 75-61 at the Cajundome.
The Trojans went winless on their four-game road swing, dropping to 5-10 on the year and 0-2 in Sun Belt Conference play. Louisiana ups its record to 10-5 and 1-1 in Sun Belt play.
Tucker's 36 points came on 11-of-15 shooting as he was 5-of-9 from three-point range and 9-of-13 from the free throw line, once again just missing a double double with nine boards.
But the rest of the Trojans scored just 25 points with Little Rock making 17-of-42 shots from the floor (40.5%) and 8-of-17 from three-point range (47.1%).
Markquis Nowell had a productive night for Little Rock, finishing with 14 points and six rebounds, adding three rebounds, but five other players combined for just 11 points.
Turnovers once again proved costly for the Trojans as Little Rock committed 23 on the night, including 15 in the first half to help Louisiana build an early advantage, finishing with a 24-15 advantage off those giveaways. Rebounding was nearly even at 31-29, in favor of the Cajuns, but Louisiana limited Little Rock to just 18 points in the paint, an area in which the Trojans typically thrive.
Seeking its first Sun Belt Conference victory of the season, Little Rock once again built an early lead, only to hit an extended scoring drought. The Trojans opened an 8-4 lead at the 15:47 mark off threes from Tucker and Maric, then went scoreless for nearly five minutes as the host Cajuns used a 14-0 run to take an early 18-8 lead, aided by six Trojan turnovers.
A 7-0 run by the Trojans closed the gap to 18-15 at the midway point of the opening half as Little Rock continued to slowly chip away at the Cajun leading, ultimately getting to within one at 27-26 off a three from Nowell.
But turnovers once again helped spark an opposing run, making way for an 8-0 run over a three minute span for the Ragin' Cajuns, racing back out to a nine point advantage at 35-26 with two minutes remaining in the opening stanza.
The Trojans closed out the half on a positive note, registering the final four points to pull to within five at 35-30. Little Rock shot 42.1% from the floor in the opening 20 minutes and held Louisiana to just 33.3% shooting and 2-of-13 from three-point range, but 15 Trojan turnovers led to an 18-9 edge in points for Louisiana.
Similar to the other night in Monroe, it was the opposition that came out quickly in the second half as the Trojans quickly found itself trailing by 13 at 50-37 as Little Rock made just one of its first seven shots with four turnovers.
Little Rock was able to get the deficit to single digits at nine at 56-47, but the season-long plague of turnovers once again proved costly, helping Louisiana to a 7-1 run to extend its lead to 15 at 63-48 with six minutes remaining.
The Ragin' Cajuns kept the Trojans at bay down the stretch, paced by JaKeenan Gant and his 45-point performance as Louisiana earned the 75-61 decision, the most for a Ragin' Cajun since 1972. It also marks the third-straight game the Trojans have allowed an opposing player to score 38 or more.
After a month on the road, Little Rock finally returns to the Jack Stephens Center this week to face its Alabama foes. The Trojans open up the home stand facing Troy on Thursday, tipping at 6:30 p.m.
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