The Pelicans had no trouble getting past the Lakers last night as they defeated L-A 109-102. At one point, New Orleans had a 23-point lead and shot 56-percent from the floor. Anthony Davis led the way with 25 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots. Tyreke Evans had a double-double, 19 points and 11 assists. New Orleans hosts Minnesota on Friday.

In college hooops…LSU’s sophomore Jordan Mickey is a first-team All-SEC preseason selection by the league’s coaches. Vanderbilt’s Damian Jones, who is from Baton Rouge, is also on that list.

Ragin Cajuns forward Shawn Long has been named to the Lou Henson Award Watch List, which goes annually to the Division One “Mid-Major” Player of the Year. Long averaged nearly 19 points and ten rebounds a game last season.

The Ragin Cajuns tip off their season tomorrow night against Louisiana College. Also tomorrow, Southeastern Louisiana is at Oklahoma State, Northwestern is at Texas A-and-M and Louisiana Tech visits Southern.

LSU will leave for Arkansas tomorrow where they’ll play the Razorbacks Saturday night in Fayetteville. The latest forecast calls for a 40-percent chance of a snow shower and temperatures around the freezing mark. LSU running back Kenny Hilliard is questionable with a shoulder injury.

The Saints are looking to get back in the win column after an overtime loss to San Francisco last weekend. It was the latest frustating loss for the Black and Gold in an up-and-down season. Coach Sean Payton says the team can’t look in the past…
cut 17 (19) “….a lot”

And former Saints defensive end Charles Grant has been fired as a volunteer football coach at Bowie State University in Maryland after video surfaced that showed Grant body-slamming a student in the gymnasium.

The Saints will host the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday. It marks the return of former LSU Tiger Jeremy Hill to his home state. Hill has rushed for 404 yards and five touchdowns and Coach Sean Payton says the Baton Rouge native has played well…

cut 16 (16) “is not surprising”

This game is also a homecoming for former LSU and West Monroe High School offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth. The Saints are looking to get back in the win column after an overtime loss to San Francisco last weekend.

U-L-M is preparing to host in state rival U-L Lafayette this Saturday. The Warhawks are looking to break a five-game losing streak. In their last three games, U-L-M has lost by five points or less. The Ragin Cajuns have won five in a row and they are looking to improve to 6-0 in the league. Kickoff is at 7PM in Malone Stadium.

In basketball news, LSU has received a national letter-of-intent from the country’s top ranked high school player. Ben Simmons signed on to play for the Tigers yesterday. Last season, the 6-10 forward averaged 18.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists for national powerhouse Montverde Academy in Florida. It is believed that Simmons, an Australian native, is the first number one player LSU has signed in the early signing period.

Anthony Davis’ 25 points lead the Pelicans to a 109-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last night before an announced sellout crowd at the Smoothie King Center. Davis also pulled down 12 rebounds and blocked six shots in the winning effort. This was his fifth double-double of the season. Tyreke Evans added 19 points and Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday each had 17 as the Pels improve their record to 4-3. The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant lead all scorers with 33. The Pelicans will next host the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night.

LSU threw for only 76 yards in the loss to Alabama and the Tigers rank next to last in the Southeastern Conference in passing yards per game. So should there be a change at quarterback? Tiger Rag Editor Robert Stewart says it wouldn’t hurt to give true freshman Brandon Harris more snaps behind center
cut 19 (08) “…getting it done”
If you want to see LSU play in the snow, you may get your wish. There’s a 70-percent chance of snow on Saturday night in Fayetteville and the game time temperature is expected to be below freezing. Coach Les Miles says his guys will practice outside today, to get themselves accustomed to the cold weather…
cut 30 (12) “…cold as it gets”
Kick-off on Saturday night is at seven o’ clock.

U-L-M is preparing to play in state rival U-L Lafayette this Saturday. The Warhawks are looking to break a five-game losing streak. In the last three games, U-L-M has lost by five points or less. The Ragin Cajuns have won five in a row and they are looking to improve to 6-0 in the league.

In the Southland Conference…Southeastern Louisiana will host McNeese State. The Lions are tied for first in the league and they are one game ahead of the Cowboys. S-L-U Coach Ron Roberts says he has a lot of respect for the McNeese football program…
cut 18 (12) “….match-up”
The Lions are ranked tenth in the latest F-C-S coaches Top 25 poll, while the cowboys are 11th.

The Saints host the Cinncinati Bengals. It marks the return of former LSU running back Jeremy Hill to his home state. Hill has rushed for 404 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season.

LSU has scored just 23 points in its last two games. So is it time for a change at quarterback? True freshman Brandon Harris hasn’t played much since he started against Auburn on October fourth. Tiger Rag Editor Robert Stewart says more playing time for Harris would not be a bad thing….
cut 20 (07) “…things up”
The weather in Fayetteville on Saturday night might not allow for much passing. There’s now a 70-percent chance for snow showers during the game.

One other LSU note…Tigers middle linebacker Kendell Beckwith says he has a tender hamstring, but expects to play against the Razorbacks.

The Saints return to the practice field today to get ready for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati has one of the worst defenses in the NFL as they rank 30th in the league in total yards given up per game and next to last in rush defense.

The big game in the Southland Conference this Saturday is between McNeese State and Southeastern Louisiana. Both teams are ranked and have injuries at the quarterback position. The Cowboys Daniel Sams has a thumb injury and is questionable for Saturday, while S-L-U’s Bryan Bennett has a foot injury. Lions Coach Ron Roberts is optimistic Bennett will play, but also knows injuries are part of the game…
cut 17 (16) “….some plays”
McNeese State linebacker Deontate Thompson is done for the season. The four-year starter has decided to stop playing after suffering a concussion.

In the NBA tonight…the Pelicans host Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers tonight. L-A dropped to 1-and-6 on the season with a 107-102 loss to Memphis last night.

And today LSU should receive a signed national letter of intent from six-foot-eight power forward Ben Simmons, who is one of the top recuits in the nation.

Tenth ranked Southeastern Louisiana is getting ready to host 13th ranked McNeese State this Saturday at Strawberry Stadium. The Lions are tied for first place in the Southland, one game ahead of the Cowboys. Southeastern is 7-and-3 overall on the season, but Coach Ron Roberts says they’ve yet to put it all together…

cut 16 (11) “all cylinders”

Both teams come into the game with injuries at the quarterback position. McNeese Daniel Sams has a thumb injury and is questionable for Saturday, while S-L-U’s Bryan Bennett has a foot injury. Kickoff is scheduled for 3PM Saturday afternoon.

Although he was seen walking gingerly around the locker room with a left knee injury, Saints cornerback Kennan Lewis hopes to play this Sunday against the Bengals. In case Lewis can’t go, New Orleans has reportedly signed safety Jamarca Sanford, who was released by the Redskins two weeks ago. Sanford also spent five seasons playing for Minnesota, starting 44 games.

LSU threw for only 76 yards in the loss to Alabama and the Tigers rank next to last in the Southeastern Conference in passing yards per game. So should there be a change at quarterback? Tiger Rag Editor Robert Stewart says it wouldn’t hurt to give true freshman Brandon Harris more snaps behind center…

cut 19 (08) “getting it done”

Harris started the Auburn game, but did not play well and hasn’t seen much of the field since. The Tigers are at Arkansas this Saturday, where game time temperatures could be below freezing.

The high school football playoffs kick-off this weekend. In Class Four-A, Neville is ranked number one by the sports writers, but they have the number two seed in the 4-A bracket. Plaquemine is the top seed and the Green Devils will begin their run through the playoffs by hosting McDonough 35. Neville takes on Riverdale in the opening round. If Neville advances, they’ll face either Breaux Bridge or West Ouachita in the second round.

The Pelicans hope to jump above .500 tonight as they host the 1-and-6 Los Angeles Lakers in the Smoothie King Center.

LSU has issued an apology, because fans sitting in the student section can be heard chanting a cuss word in the direction of Alabama Coach Nick Saban last Saturday night. Coach Les Miles hopes that doesn’t happen again…
cut 10 (05) “…respecting that opponent.
Alleva says if it happens again, they’ll seek out the people responsible and make sure they are no longer welcomed at Tiger Stadium.

The Tigers are at Arkansas this Saturday, where the game time temperature could be below freezing. There’s also a 50-percent chance of a light wintry mix. Miles says the weather should not impact his players performance…
cut 19 (12) “….that will happen’
LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette says the coldest game temperature for an LSU game was 31-degrees. That was 1992 at Arkansas.

Saints cornerback Kennan Lewis hopes to play this Sunday against the Bengals, even though he was seen walking gingerly around the locker room yesterday with a left knee injury. In case Lewis can’t go, New Orleans has reportedly signed safety Jamarca Sanford, who was released by the Redskins two weeks ago. He also spent five seasons playing for Minnesota, starting 44 games.

The high school football playoffs kick-off this weekend. In Four-A, Neville is ranked number one by the sports writers, but they have the number two seed in the 4-A bracket. Plaquemine is the number one-seed and the Green Devils will begin their run through the playoffs by hosting McDonough 35. Neville has Riverdale. If Neville advances, they’ll face either Breaux Bridge or West Ouachita in Round 2.

The Pelicans are off tonight after losing last night in Cleveland 118-111. Tomorrow night, New Orleans hosts the 1-and-5 Lakers, who are at Memphis tonight.

LSU Football Coach Les Miles still believes the unsportsmanlike penalty late in the fourth quarter against offensive lineman Vadal was a poor call. But Miles says after talking with the head of SEC officiating, Steve Shaw, for 20 minutes on the phone, he’s comfortable with how the refs are instructed…
cut 18 (16) “…make mistakes”
LSU athletic director Joe Alleva has sent out a written statement apologizing for fans using a “profane” chant that was directed towards Alabama Coach Nick Saban. Alleva called it crude behavior by a small minority of people. Miles was unaware it happened at the time and didn’t like hearing that LSU fans would do that…
cut 9 (09) “…arrives here”
Alleva says if it occurs in the future, they will make every effort to identify those who choose to act in this maner and make sure they are no longer welcomed in Tiger Stadium.

The Pelicans had a five point lead at halftime last night, but were outscored by 11 points in the third quarter and lost to the Cavaliers 118 to 111. Lebron James had his first triple-double of the season for the Cavs, 32 points, 12 rebounds and ten assists. He had 17 points in the third quater. Ryan Anderson led the Pels with 32 points, 23 of them came in the first half.

In high school football…Rummel, Neville, University High, Many and Mangham are ranked number one in their respective classes by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Neville opens the playoffs by hosting Riverdale on Friday, while Many takes on Homer.

Last night in the NFL…former Saint Darren Sproles became the first player in league history to rush for a touchdown and return a punt for a score in the first quarter. That helped the Eagles beat the Panthers 45-31 and it keeps New Orleans in sole possession of first place in a less than mediocre NFC South.

The Saints are now 4-and-5 after a tough 27-24 overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. New Orleans ralled from a 14-0 deficit to take a 24-21 lead, only to see the 49ers kick a field goal to tie and eventually win it with another field goal in overtime. Despite the loss and losing record, the Saints are in first place in the NFC South with a 4-5 record and will host the Bengals Sunday.

Former Ragin Cajuns star and NFL Pro Bowler Orlando Thomas has lost his battle with A-L-S. Thomas passed away last night at the age of 42. When Thomas finished at U-S-L, he was the school’s all-time leading tackler among defensive backs. Legendary high school football coach Louis Cook coached Thomas at Crowley High School…
cut 11 (08) “….that he was”
Thomas was diagnosed with A-L-S ten years ago.

The LSU Tigers are back on the practice field this afternoon, trying to forget about their tough loss to Alabama and look ahead to their match-up with Arkansas this Saturday. Wide Receiver Malachi Dupre…
cut 30 (10) “…tomorrow”
LSU cornerback Rashard Robinson didn’t play in Saturday’s loss to Alabama. The school announced prior to kick-off that he was suspended and Coach Les Miles indicated today that he wouldn’t be back with the team anytime soon.

In other college football news…Ragin Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth became a father again. Captain Ty Hudspeth was born on Hudspeth’s birthday. It’s also Les Miles 61st birthday.

Louisiana Tech gets a chance to rest this Saturday. The Bulldogs lead Conference USA’s west division with a 6-0 record after beating UAB this Saturday. Tech’s next game is November 22nd at Old Dominion.

And tonight in the NBA…the Pelicans go after their third straight win as they visit Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

A frustrating loss for the Saints yesterday as they made too many mistakes and lost to the San Francisco 49ers 27-24 in overtime. Head Coach Sean Payton says it was a hard fought, physcial game…
cut 17 (14) “…guys played hard”
Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns. He was also intercepted twice and fumbled in overtime, which set up Phil Dawson’s game winning 35-yard field goal.

Sad news to report out of the Lafayette-area. Former Ragin Cajuns star and Minnesota Vikings standout Orlando Thomas has passed away. Thomas has been battling A-L-S, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, the last ten years of his life. Thomas won a state championship at Crowley High, was an All-American at U-S-L and played seven seasons with the Vikings.

Referees are not a loved occupation by Louisiana sports fans today. You had Saints tight end Jimmy Graham called for pass interference that took away a game-winning touchdown pass and there were some questionable calls in LSU’s overtime loss to Alabama. Tigers quarterback Anthony Jennings says pass interference should have been called when he threw a pass to Travin Dural in overtime…
cut 15 (08) “….first down”
LSU will have to regroup and face Arkansas this Saturday.

Appalachian State quarterback Taylor Lamb has been named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week. Lamb threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns in the Mountaineers win over ULM on Saturday. The Warhawks have lost five in a row, heading into Saturday’s home game against the Cajuns.

Tonight in the NBA…the Pelicans , who have won two in a row, take on Lebron James and the Cavaliers tonight in Cleveland.

49er kicker Phil Dawson put a 35-yard field goal through the uprights in overtime as San Francisco edged the Saints 27-24 yesterday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Saints Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns, but threw two interceptions and lost a critical fumble in overtime. Coach Sean Payton says this is a disappointing loss…

cut 16 (12) “make enough plays”

With the loss, the Black & Gold fall to 4-5 on the season. The Saints will try to get back to .500 this Sunday as they host the Cincinnati Bengals, who are coming off a disappointing 24-3 loss to Cleveland.

Elsewhere in the NFC South, Atlanta kicker Matt Bryan connected on four field goals yesterday as the Falcons got past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-17. Carolina plays tonight as they travel to Philadelphia.

LSU’s overtime loss to Alabama on Saturday night is expected to sting for a long time. The Tigers were poised to beat the Crimson Tide, but victory slipped away as Alabama won in overtime 20-13. It wouldn’t be LSU and Alabama without some controversy. An unsportsmanlike penalty on LSU’s Vadal Alexander kept LSU from scoring a touchdown in the final minute of regulation. Instead they had to settle for a field goal and Coach Les Miles is not happy about the call…

cut 14 (10) “not the case”

Meanwhile, LSU Quarterback Anthony Jennings says there was a pass interference that wasn’t called on Alabama, when he threw a pass to Travin Dural in overtime.

Louisiana Tech remains undefeated in Conference USA play as they downed the UAB Blazers 40-20. Bulldog quarterback Cody Sokol threw for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns as Tech remains atop the West Division.