LAFAYETTE — The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns men’s basketball team fell to Southern Miss 67-59 on Saturday night, marking their second time losing consecutive games in Sun Belt Conference play this season.
Despite a strong showing from Mostapha El Moutaouakkil, who scored a season-high 23 points and briefly gave UL a one-point lead with just over three minutes left, the Cajuns couldn’t hold off the Golden Eagles down the stretch.
Southern Miss closed the game on an 11-2 run, capitalizing on key rebounds and clutch shooting to seal the win.
Interim head coach Derrick Zimmerman cited late-game execution as a key factor in the loss.
“We didn’t execute like we were doing in the first half,” Zimmerman said. “In the second half, I felt we took some rushed shots that we could’ve gotten at any time. We’ve got to be better down the stretch. That’s on me—I’ve got to put them in better positions to be successful.”
The Cajuns will look to regroup as they hit the road to face Texas State on Thursday, Jan. 30.
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