I’m Kevin Gallagher and this Louisiana Radio Network Sportscast is brought to you by Tele-leaf-dot-com, Louisiana’s access to medical mairjuana from the comfort of your home.

After starting the season 1-and-12, the Pelicans are in the playoffs for the first time since 2018 as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Last night, New Orleans built a 16-point lead, only to fall behind by 13 in the fourth quarter before eventually beating the Clippers 105 to 101 in Los Angeles.

Brandon Ingram led the way with 30 points, C-J McCollum chipped in with 19 points. New Orleans also got great contributions off the bench from big man Larry Nance Junior who had 14 points and 16 rebounds, while rookie Trey Murphy had 14 points and made four three-pointers.

New Orleans will stay out west and play the Suns, the top seed in the Western Conference. The best of seven series begins Sunday night in Phoenix.
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The LSU baseball team had just three hits last night and they lost to Arkansas four to nothing. The Razorbacks scored three runs in the third inning off of losing pitcher Blake Money. The Hogs have clinched the series and will go for the sweep today at 2 PM. L-S-U is now 7-and-7 in SEC play.

ULM erupted for five runs in the ninth inning to beat the Ragin Cajuns seven to five. Austin Beech belted a two run home run to give the Warhawks the lead in the ninth inning. It’s the first win for ULM this season when trailing after the sixth inning. The rubber game of the series is today at four PM.

Marshall outscored Louisiana Tech ten to nine to win game one of the series. The Bulldogs are nine and four in Conference USA and trail first place Southern Miss by two and a half games.

Nicholls is in first place in the Southland after the Colonels blanked Northwestern State six to nothing. Tyler Theriot threw eight shutout innings for his fifth win of the season.

This sportscast is brought to you by tele-leaf-dot-com. Louisiana Radio Network Sports.

It’s “winner take all” in Los Angeles tonight, as the New Orleans Pelicans face the Clippers. If the Pels win, they go on to Phoenix to take on the Suns in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, a place they haven’t been since the 2017-18 season. New Orleans is 3-1 against LA this season, and today it was announced that forward Paul George will be unavailable for the Clippers due to health and safety protocols after he tested positive for COVID-19. George was likely to see a lot of Pelicans rookie Herb Jones tonight. Jones was huge in shutting down Spurs guard Dejonte Murray on Wednesday. While many rookies might get caught up in the moment, Brandon Ingram says he expects Herb to come up big once again…

Cut 17 (14) “…all year.”

Tip-off is at 9 pm

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LSU baseball’s four-game win streak came to a halt after a five to four loss to Arkansas in the opener of their SEC series last night. Game 2 starts tonight at 5 pm.

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Northwestern State will try to even its series with Nicholls tonight, while McNeese goes for two in a row against Incarnate Word and UL looks to do the same against UL-Monroe. UNO and Southeastern square off again with first place in the Sun Belt on the line. Tulane looks to bounce back against Houston in the American Conference and Southern is at Prairie View with the top spot in the SWAC up for grabs.

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LSU football picked up another commitment in Ryan Yaites, a four-star safety from Texas. He’s the fourth player in LSU’s 2023 class and is ranked as the seventh-best safety in the country. The Tigers’ 2023 class is currently ranked 24^th nationally and sixth in the Southeastern Conference.

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And today is the 75^th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking MLB’s longstanding barrier for Black players. Robinson took the field on April 15, 1947, starting at first base and went hitless in a win over the Boston Braves.

LSU’s four-game win streak came to a halt after a five to four loss to Arkansas in the opener of their SEC series. Problems with the glove continue to plague the Tigers as a Jacob Berry throwing error in the first inning led to an unearned run, and in the seventh, shortstop Jordan Thompson failed to handle a hard ground ball as part of a three-run inning for the Razorbacks, giving them a lead they would not relinquish. Game 2 starts tonight at 5 pm.

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Nicholls upended Northwestern State eight to two as Devin Desandro threw six shutout innings. McNeese defeated Incarnate Word nine to three…Braden Duhon had three hits for the Cowboys. Southeastern Louisiana edged UNO five to four. The Privateers and Colonels are tied for first place in the Southland standings at 6-and-4.

The Ragin Cajuns had a season-high 19 hits in a 14-2 win over ULM. Tyler Robertson was four for four with a career-high four RBI. Starting pitcher Brandon Talley struck out a career-high eight batters.

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The Pelicans are in Los Angeles for tonight’s elimination game against the Clippers. A win puts the Pels in the playoffs for the first time in four years. After beating the Spurs Wednesday night, Coach Willie Green let the squad know, he’s not ready for this run to end.

Cut 16 (19) “…pack a bag.”

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Spring football is over in Monroe, where Terry Bowden enters his second season leading the Warhawks. After going 4-8 in year one, Bowden says there’s much more continuity this season and that should make his team more competitive in a very tough league.

Cut 19 (15) _“…starting for us.”

LSU’s defense let them down again last night in a five to four loss to Arkansas to open an SEC series. A Jacob Berry throwing error in the first inning led to an unearned run and shortstop Jordan Thompson failed to handle a hard ground ball on an RBI single in a decisive three-run seventh inning. The series resumes tonight at 6 PM in Fayetteville.

The Ragin Cajuns had a season-high 19 hits in a 14-2 win over ULM. Tyler Robertson was four for four with a career-high four RBI. Starting pitcher Brandon Talley struck out a career-high eight batters.

Nicholls upended Northwestern State eight to two as Devin Desandro threw six shutout innings. McNeese defeated UIW nine to three as leadoff man Braden Duhon had three hits. Southeastern Louisiana edged UNO five to four. The Privateers and Colonels are tied for first place in the Southland standings at 6-and-4.

The Pelicans face the Clippers tonight in Los Angeles and the winner advances to the Western Conference playoffs as the eighth seed. Second-round pick Herb Jones has pest on the defensive side of the ball and Brandon Ingram expects the rookie will come up big again tonight…
cut 17 (14) “…all year”
Tip off is at 9 PM.

Spring football wrapped up last weekend for the Ragin Cajuns. First-year head coach Michael Desormeaux is excited about this year’s group of players and looks forward to seeing if they can build on last season’s 13-win campaign…
cut 18 (19) “….do it though”

In front of a raucous, sold-out crowd at the Smoothie King Center last night, the New Orleans Pelicans beat the San Antonio Spurs to advance in the NBA’s play-in tournament for the 8^th and final playoff spot in the West. First-year head coach Willie Green has been the one constant for the Pelicans this season as the team climbed out of the cellar and back into contention. Green says the team showed how much it’s grown with last night’s performance.

Cut 14 (12) “…for our program.”

The Pelicans face the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night on the road, with the winner taking on top-seeded Phoenix in the Western Conference Playoffs.

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LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey adds a familiar name to her staff. Bob Starkey spent last season with Auburn but has two decades of experience on the sidelines in Baton Rouge. Starkey was on staff for all five of LSU’s Final Four appearances, including as interim coach in 2007.

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LSU baseball begins a three-game series with Arkansas in Fayetteville tonight. The Tigers have won four in a row and are in a three-way tie with Auburn and Alabama for second place in the SEC West. Coach Jay Johnson says offensively, his team is becoming more than just the long ball, and that’s going to pay off down the road.

Cut 21 (15) “…we wanna be.”

First pitch tonight is set for 6:30, with righty Ma’Khail Hilliard taking the hill for the Tigers.

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Tigers basketball coach Matt McMahon continues to fill out his roster with some new and some old faces. Yesterday, forward Mwani Wilkinson withdrew his name from the transfer portal and today guard Justice Williams announced he will do the same. LSU also adds another guard in North Carolina State transfer Cam Hayes. Hayes averaged seven points and two assists per game for the Wolfpack this past season.

CJ McCollum scored 27 of his game-high 32 points in the first half, Brandon Ingram added 27 of his own, and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds as the Pelicans moved closer to an NBA playoff berth with a 113-103 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in front of a sold-out crowd at the Smoothie King Center last night. After the game Ingram reflected on the journey from 1-12 to last night’s electric scene.

Cut 21 (17) “…keep our focus.”

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Next up, the Pelicans will travel to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Friday night. The winner of that game will earn the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs and take on the Phoenix Suns in the first round. New Orleans is 3-1 against LA this season.

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A big part of changing the fortunes in Death Valley will be fixing the LSU offense. Coach Brian Kelly has always been demanding of his quarterbacks, and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock said that for this group learning the new system has been like drinking from a fire hose at times, though he sees the traits he’s looking for from the next leader of the LSU attack.

Cut 18 (18) “…all looking for.”

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Over on the diamond, LSU is on the road taking on first-place Arkansas in a big weekend series. The UL Cajuns look to extend their dominance over UL-Monroe in the Sun Belt. Tulane and UNO try to move closer to claiming conference titles against Houston and Southeastern respectively. Southern hosts Prairie View, Northwestern State visits Nicholls, and McNeese welcomes Incarnate Word.

New Orleans felt like a basketball city last night as the Pelicans eliminated the Spurs from postseason competition with a 113 to 103 win over San Antonio in front of a boisterous crowd at the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans version of the big three played well as C-J McCollum had 32 points, 27 in the first half, Brandon Ingram had 27 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 22 points and 14 rebounds. Here’s McCollum after the win…
cut 19 (18) “…getting to his spots”
New Orleans now heads to Los Angeles where they’ll play the Clippers on Friday night. The winner is the eight seed in the Western Conference playoffs, while the loser is done for the season.

When Mike Denbrock was hired as LSU’s offensive coordinator, he knew he had some work to do trying to turn around a team that finished 11th in the SEC in yards and 12th in points last season. The Tigers were a bit overwhelmed at the start of spring practices, but Denbrock says everyone has started to adjust to where the bar has been set.
Cut 17 (22) “ …of one another.”
LSU football has received a commitment from four-star safety Michael Daughtery out of Georgia. He’s rated as the 19th best safety in the nation according to 24-7 sports.

LSU men’s basketball coach Matt McMahon has signed three-star center Corneilous Williams from Hickory, North Carolina. Williams was committed to McMahon at Murray State and he’s rated as the 51st best center according to 24-7.

The New Orleans Pelicans are two wins away from making the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season. Standing in their way tonight in an elimination game are the San Antonio Spurs. CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas are two of only five players on the roster with any postseason experience. Coach Willie Green says that they’ve already taken the younger Pels under their wings in getting them prepared for a playoff atmosphere.

Cut 19 (14) “…highest level possible.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 pm on ESPN. The team announced earlier this afternoon that the game is completely sold out.

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If the Pelicans do win tonight, they will visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday for the chance to take the eighth seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. New Orleans went 3-1 against the Clippers this season, going 1-1 on the road.

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Brandon Ingram has grown into the role of leader this season, his third with the Pels. While his overall scoring numbers have been down, his presence has been felt so much more on the court. BI sat out the final three games of the regular season to rest his hamstring, but there’s no time to rest now with the playoffs within reach. Ingram says he’s ready to get his first taste of the postseason.

Cut 21 (20) “…all season.”

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College baseball conference play gets back into gear tomorrow, with Prairie View visiting first-place Southern in a SWAC matchup. Incarnate Word travels to Lake Charles to face McNeese. Northwestern State and Nicholls get it on in Thibodaux, UL-Monroe is on the road at UL-Lafayette, UNO visits Southeastern, Tulane is at Houston, and LSU faces a crucial three-game set at Arkansas.

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The New Orleans Pelicans are two wins away from making the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season. Standing in their way tonight in an elimination game is the San Antonio Spurs. Coach Willie Green faces off against one of his mentors Gregg Popovich but says Pop’s resume won’t be taking the court.

Cut 17 (17) “…on the line.”

Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 pm on ESPN.

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If the Pelicans win tonight, they will face the Los Angeles Clippers for the chance to take the eighth seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. The Clippers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-109 in the 7/8 game, meaning Minnesota will play Memphis in the first round. In the East, Brooklyn topped Cleveland 115-108.

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In a clear sign of the transition from the old to the new, LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock says he’s put a moratorium on adding new plays because the players are making too many mistakes. He says about 30-percent of the offense is installed and that for now, he’ll turn his attention to teaching techniques and re-establishing expectations. Head Coach Brian Kelly has stated that some of the offense will remain unsettled until a starting quarterback is in place. LSU plays its annual spring football game on April 23.

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A couple of college baseball games managed to avoid the rains last night…Tulane came back from two down to defeat UNO 4-2, evening their season series at one game apiece. Southeastern saw its two-game win streak come to an end on the road, as the Lions fell to 11^th-ranked Southern Miss, 3-2.

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Conference play gets back into gear tomorrow, with Prairie View visiting first-place Southern in a SWAC matchup. Incarnate Word travels to Lake Charles to face McNeese. Northwestern State and Nicholls get it on in Thibodaux, UL-Monroe is on the road at UL-Lafayette, UNO visits Southeastern, Tulane is at Houston, and LSU faces a crucial three-game set at Arkansas.

Playoff basketball returns to the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans tonight as the Pelicans host San Antonio in a play-in tournament game. The loser will see its season come to an end, while the winner moves on to play the Clippers on Friday for a chance to meet the top-seeded Suns in a seven-game playoff series.

The Pels lost three of four to San Antonio in the regular season, though New Orleans was without Brandon Ingram in two of those games. Coach Willie Green says both teams know each other well, so the game will come down to execution.
Cut 18 (18) “ …play our game.”
Tip off is at 8:30.

LSU forward Mwani Wilkinson has left the transfer portal and he plans to play for the Tigers next season. The Las Vegas native started 30 games last season and averaged four points and three rebounds for LSU.

Meanwhile, former Tiger guard Eric Gaines is transferring to UAB.

LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock says he’s put a moratorium on adding new plays because the players are making too many mistakes. He says about 30-percent of the offense is installed.

Meanwhile, former LSU Coach Ed Orgeron was in South Bend yesterday to watch Notre Dame practice. Orgeron spoke with the team after their practice and told the Fighting Irish they will win it all one day.

In college baseball last night, most of the games were rained out, but Tulane doubled UNO four to two and Southeastern Louisiana lost to 11th ranked Southern Miss three to two.

Tomorrow, 15th ranked LSU begins an SEC series against sixth-ranked Arkansas. The Ragin Cajuns host ULM and Nicholls host Northwestern.