TUSCALOOSA — Led by a 17-point output from redshirt-freshman Kobe Julien, Louisiana Men’s Basketball fell in a tightly-contested charity exhibition to No. 14 Alabama, 73-68 Sunday afternoon in Coleman Coliseum. Proceeds from the game will benefit the United Way of West Alabama.
In addition to his scoring output, Julien was active defensively, recording five of Louisiana’s 13 steals.
Junior Jalen Dalcourt contributed 12 points off the bench behind a trio of makes from beyond the arc. As a team, Ragin’ Cajuns’ reserves outpaced their Crimson Tide counterparts, 24-9.
Junior Greg Williams, Jr. chipped in nine points in his Louisiana debut. The Lafayette native submitted an all-around stat line adding five assists and four rebounds.
The Ragin’ Cajuns raced out to an 18-10 lead in their first action of the 2021-22 season. Freshman forward Isaiah Richard’s dropped in seven early points to propel the scoring run that was capped off with a layup by junior Theo Akwuba.
Alabama battled back in the contest taking a 24-22 lead, its first of the game, with just over three minutes remaining in the first half.
Julien and Williams, Jr. exchanged 3-pointers before the break and handed Louisiana a 33-32 advantage following the opening 20 minutes.
Trailing by six midway through the second half, Alabama went on a pivotal 22-6 run that spanned eight minutes of game time and provided a 67-57 advantage. The Ragin’ Cajuns closed the scoring gap with a 9-0 run of their own, but were unable to regain the lead before the buzzer.
Louisiana will open the 2021-22 regular season against West Florida at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 9th in the Cajundome.
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers