LAFAYETTE – Redshirt-Freshman Kobe Julien drilled a clutch 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds remaining to give Louisiana Men’s Basketball a 65-64 win over Coastal Carolina Saturday afternoon at the HTC Center.
With the win, Louisiana improved to 2-0 in conference play for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
After starting the game 0-7 from the field, Julien caught fire in the second half scoring 16 points, including 12 from beyond the arc.
Sophomore forward Jordan Brown led Louisiana in the first half. Aided by a late scoring stretch, Brown totaled 18 points in the opening frame and finished with 20 on the night. The Roseville, Calif. native also added four rebounds.
Freshman Joe Charles paced the Ragin’ Cajuns early and finished the contest with nine points and four rebounds.
Sophomore Durey Cadwell kept up his strong play for the second consecutive game and completed the contest with five points in addition to four rebounds.
Competing with just nine active players, Louisiana once again got out to a quick start with a pair of triples from Charles and freshman guard Ty Harper.
The game soon turned into a back-and-forth slugfest with each side struggling to score offensively. The teams were even at 22 with just over five minutes remaining in the opening half. Despite a lack of rhythm, Louisiana generated points from a multitude of spots with Charles and Brown leading the way.
With the Ragin’ Cajuns holding to a slim lead near the five-minute mark, Brown established his presence and scored Louisiana’s final 14 points of the half, including a shot from beyond the arc to beat the buzzer and give the Ragin’ Cajuns a 37-29 advantage.
Coastal Carolina battled back in the opening minutes of the second half. The Chanticleers scored the first 10 points as Louisiana's limited roster struggled offensively.
With the Ragin’ Cajuns facing a slim deficit with eight minutes elapsed, Julien began to heat up from beyond the arc. Julien hit two 3-pointers in three possessions to spark a 17-6 run that featured outside shots from Cadwell and freshman guard Michael Thomas and was bookended by another triple from the redshirt freshman.
With Louisiana leading by double figures as the game crossed the six-minute mark, the Chanticleers mounted a 17-5 offensive charge that included a go-ahead layup with 35 seconds left and a pair of free throws with 12 seconds remaining after a missed jumper by Brown.
Following a Louisiana foul, Coastal Carolina redshirt Junior guard Dibba Ebrima missed the back end of a one-and-one opportunity to set up Julien’s game-winner.
The Ragin’ Cajuns will be back in action at 7 p.m. Thursday when they host Arkansas State at the Cajundome. The game will be available to be live-streamed on ESPN+.
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