LAFAYETTE – In a back-and-forth battle in the first game of the MAC-SBC Challenge to open the regular season, the Louisiana men’s basketball team fell to Kent State, 70-66, on Monday in the Cajundome.
Four players finished in double figures for Louisiana, led by Kentrell Garnett’s 14 points. Garnett was efficient, going 5-for-6 from the field and hitting 4-of-5 from three while playing nearly 35 minutes. Christian Wright scored 11 in his Cajun debut along with three assists and three steals. Zeke Cook added 10 points, with eight coming in the second half, and a team-high eight rebounds. Mostapha El Moutaouakkil also finished in double figures with 10 points to go with seven rebounds.
After struggling from deep in last week’s exhibition game, Louisiana went 9-for-20 (.450) from three while holding the Golden Flashes to 6-for-24 (.250) from three-point range. The Cajuns won the turnover battle, 16 to 11, but nine more made free throws by the visitors proved the difference.
Louisiana was hot early. Garnett connected from three on the team’s first possession before following with another bucket for the 5-0 lead. A pair of free throws by Wright and a three by London Fields pushed Louisiana’s lead to 10-0 just over five minutes into the game.
After starting slow, Kent State found their grove offensively and made it a one-possession game after a 7-0 run. Buckets by El Moutaouakkil and Wright sandwiched a three by Garnett as part of a 7-1 run to make it 24-15 Louisiana. Kent State responded with an 11-0 run and took their first lead with 3:22 to go in the half. They eventually took that lead into the locker room at 30-27.
Louisiana scored the first four points in the second half to retake a one-point lead. The lead would bounce back and forth before back-to-back threes by Cook and Garnett put Louisiana ahead 41-37. Three straight baskets by Jeremiah Evans pushed Louisiana ahead 48-39. The visitors scored the next six points to make it a one-possession game once again.
The three-ball kept Louisiana in the lead. Kyndall Davis and Cook each connected from deep and gave Louisiana a 55-47 lead with just over eight minutes to play. From that moment, the Golden Flash hit their next six from the field and went 9-for-12 from the free throw line to take the lead and eventually the game.
The Ragin’ Cajuns return to the court on Thursday against UT Dallas beginning at 7 p.m. in the Cajundome.
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