6:45 LRN Sportscast

Tough ending to the season for the Ragin Cajuns men’s basketball team as U-L Lafayette could not hold on to a ten-point lead with 6:44 left and lost to Georgia Southern 82 to 81 in the second round of the Sun Belt Tournament. Jalen Johnson had 21 points in a losing effort. The Cajuns end the season with a 14-and-19 record.

The SEC Tournament starts tomorrow in Nashville and the league office says their focus and expectation is to play the tourney as scheduled despite concerns over the coronavirus. The league says it will have hand sanitizers throughout the arena, the locker rooms, team benches, and even the basketball will be sanitized.

LSU senior Skylar Mays has been named to the Academic All-America team by the College Sports Information Directors of America for a third straight year. While preparing to be a doctor, Mays leads the team in scoring and holds a 3.9 GPA. Mays and the Tigers play in the SEC Tourney on Friday.

The NFL Players Association is giving its members a couple of extra days to vote on a new collective bargaining agreement that calls for a 17-game schedule. The voting window has been extended from Thursday night to Saturday at 10:59 PM central time. Also, there have players who reportedly want to change their vote but have been told they can’t.

The SWAC men’s basketball tournament starts today with quarterfinal action with games on campus. Southern will host Alabama State. The Jaguars have won seven in a row. Grambling will visit Texas Southern.

Louisiana Tech is the three-seed in the Conference USA Tournament and the Bulldogs will play either Marshall or UTEP in Frisco, Texas on Thursday. The Thundering Herd have won six of their last eight, while the Miners have won four in a row. Marshall and UTEP play on Wednesday.

In college baseball, ULM hosts Ole Miss tonight at 6 pm for the start of a two-game midweek series. The Ragin Cajuns are at McNeese, Louisiana Tech hosts Southeastern Louisiana at Ruston High School.

4:45 LRN Sportscast March 9

LSU’s Gavin Dugas hit two home runs yesterday to help the Tigers complete the sweep of U-Mass Lowell six to four. Dugas was in the line-up because the regular designated hitter Saul (saw-OOL) Garza did not play because of a strained muscle in his back. Coach Paul Mainieri is not sure when Garza will return. He also says freshman outfielder Maurice Hampton has a stress reaction in his back and he’s expected to be out for quite a while. The Tigers host South Alabama on Wednesday.

In the NBA, Jrue Holiday had 37 points as the Pelicans defeated the Timberwolves 120 to 107 to start a four-game road trip. Zion Williamson had 23 points and guard Lonzo Ball hit four more three-pointers and finished with 18 points, five rebounds and eight assists. New Orleans is in Sacramento on Wednesday.

And the NFL Players Association is giving its members a couple of extra days to vote on a new collective bargaining agreement that calls for a 17-game schedule. The voting window has been extended from Thursday night to Saturday at 10:59 PM central time.

The LSU men’s basketball team finished the regular season with a 94-64 win over Georgia to finish in a tie for second place with Auburn. Senior Marlon Taylor had 30 points, while fellow senior Skylar Mays had 19 points. Sophomore guard Javonte Smart had 13 points and 10 assists. After the game, Coach Will Wade went on of his classic rants against those who do not think Smart is a good point guard…
Cut 17 (19) “point guard”
LSU will play again on Friday night in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. They’ll face either Vanderbilt, Arkansas or South Carolina.

Tonight in Sun Belt Tournament action, the Ragin Cajuns will take on Georgia Southern in Statesboro. The Eagles beat U-L Lafayette twice in the regular season.

6:45 LRN Sportscast March 9

Jrue Holiday had 37 points and Zion Williamson had 23 points as New Orleans took care of Minnesota 120 to 107 last night to start a four-game road trip. The victory keeps New Orleans within four games of Memphis for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Up next for the Pels, a road game at Sacramento, then Utah and a contest versus the Clippers.

Two weeks after getting hit in the head, Gavin Dugas belted two home runs to help the Tigers defeat U-Mass Lowell six to four and complete a three-game sweep. Dugas drove in four runs. Giovanni DiGiacomo had two hits and had seven hits for the weekend.

Louisiana Tech came back from an eight-run deficit but still lost to Wichita State 10-9 as the Shockers completed the three-game sweep.

The Ragin Cajuns won two of three in Pensacola. Yesterday, UL-Lafayette defeated Troy eight to four. McNeese avoided a sweep as they defeated ULM three to one. Reid Bourque’s two-run homer was the difference.

It’s tournament week for Louisiana college basketball teams. Tonight, the Ragin Cajuns face Georgia Southern in a Sun Belt Tournament second-round game. LSU has a double-bye in the SEC Tournament and the Tigers will play the late game on Friday night the quarterfinals.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball finished in a two-way tie for second place in Conference USA and the Bulldogs will play in the conference tournament on Thursday night in Frisco, Texas against either against Marshall or UTEP. Bulldogs Coach Eric Konkol on their preparation for postseason play…
cut 19 (20) for them”
Kalob LeDoux was named Conference USA Men’s basketball player of the week as he averaged 17 points in two victories last week.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU begins spring drills tomorrow and All-American wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase will be wearing the coveted number seven jersey for the national champs. Chase was the nation’s top receiver last season, setting SEC records for touchdowns and receiving yards. Also at the LSU Board of Supervisors meeting today, Coach Ed Orgeron’s new six-year nearly seven-million dollar contract is up for approval.

The Pelicans are back home tonight facing the Miami Heat. New Orleans will look to snap a three-game losing streak and then they’ll hit the road for the next four games.

LSU basketball hosts Georgia in the final regular season game of the year on Saturday. The Tigers can finish as high as second place in the league standings. They will also recognize senior Skylar Mays, who is averaging 17 points a game. It would have been Wayde Sims’ senior day, if he was not fatally shot in October 2018.

Also tomororw the Cajuns will host Arkansas State in a Sun Belt Tournament game.
______________________________________________________________
The 20th ranked LSU baseball team begins a three game series tonight against U-Mass Lowell at 7 PM. Coach Paul Mainieri says since getting no-hit on Sunday in Houston, the coaching staff has spent a lot of time talking with their young hitters about hitting the ball the other way…
Cut 17 (24) …ahead of us.”
LSU enters the weekend last in the SEC in hitting and second to last in slugging and on-base percentage.
Two of the top hitting teams in the country will face off this weekend in Lake Charles as the Cowboys host ULM.

McNeese is third in the country in hitting, while the Warhawks are fifth. Both teams have won four of their last five.

Also in Lake Charles, it’s the girls state basketball championships this weekend. Public schools will crown seven champions over the next two days.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU kicks off spring football on Saturday and the Bayou Bengals will move from a three-four defense to a four-three under defensive coordinator Bo Pelini. Coach Ed Orgeron says LSU’s personnel fits a four-three defense better…
cut 17 (25) “…have that”
LSU has lost four starting linebackers to the N-F-L. To make up for that loss, Marcel Brooks will be moved from safety to linebacker and former Amite standout Devonta Lee will switch from wide receiver to linebacker.

The Pelicans dropped their third straight last night, falling to the Dallas Mavericks 127 to 123. Now five games back of the final playoff spot.

LSU basketball can’t put two good games together anymore. The Tigers rallied in the final seven minutes last night but still lost to Arkansas 99 to 90. The Bayou Bengals trailed by 21 points after giving up 55 points in the first half. The Tigers are in a three-way tie for second place with one regular-season game left. They host Georgia on Saturday at one o’clock.

Louisiana Tech clinched a first-round bye in the Conference USA Tournament with a 76-73 win over F-I-U last night. The Bulldogs could be a two-seed in next week’s tournament if they beat Charlotte on Saturday.

Nicholls closed out the regular season with a commanding 80-56 victory over McNeese. The Colonels are in a good position to get the number two seed in the Southland Tournament and a double-bye. Meanwhile, the Cowboys will need to beat Lamar on Saturday in order to qualify for the conference tournament.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The Pelicans lost in O-T last night 127 to 123 to Dallas to fall five games back of Memphis for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 20 games left. Mavericks guard Luka Doncic had 30 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists. Lonzo Ball had seven three-pointers for a second straight game and Zion Williamson had 21 points, his 13th straight 20-plus point performance.

Skylar Mays had 28 points, but LSU struggled again on defense losing to Arkansas 99 to 90. So the Tigers are now in a three-way tie for second place with Auburn and Florida with one game left in the regular season.

Louisiana Tech is also tied for second place in Conference USA after beating F-I-U 76 to 73 in a wild contest. Amorie Archibald had 18 points and Kalob Ledoux had 16 points.

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron says Myles Brennan will take all of the snaps as the first-team quarterback when the Tigers kick-off spring practice on Saturday. Brennan has big shoes to fill in trying to replace Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow. But Orgeron believes Brennan is up for the challenge…
cut 16 (23) “…for us”
Spring practice begins Saturday, but redshirt freshman offensive tackle Dare Rosenthal will not be there. Orgeron says he’s left the team for personal reasons.

In other college hoops action….Northwestern State defeated UNO 95-73, Nicholls thumped McNeese 80-56 and Southeastern Louisiana falls to Central Arkansas 69-65.

4:45 LRN Sportscast March 4

After a disappointing loss last night at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Pelicans have a tougher assignment tonight against a Mavericks team that’s 12-games over the .500 mark. Last night’s loss, puts the Pels four games back of Memphis for the final playoff spot in the West.

LSU basketball enters tonight’s game at Arkansas in a tie for second place with Auburn in the SEC standings. A couple of weeks ago, Coach Will Wade was not happy with his team, but he feels much better about them now
Cut 17 (15) “on Wednesday”

Also tonight, Louisiana Tech hosts F-I-U. On Saturday the Bulldogs will host Charlotte. A Tech win tonight and they would clinch a first-round bye in next week’s Conference USA Tournament. Tip-off is at 6:30.

Former LSU Quarterback Joe Burrow is asking folks not to compare him to the future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. Burrow said in an ESPN interview that he does not want to be compared to the best player of all time and he would like if everyone lets him do his own thing. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently said that Burrow and Brady share similar mechanics.

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron said today he’s expecting big things from Myles Brennan in 2020. Brennan goes into spring practice as the Tigers starter at quarterback. Orgeron also vowed he would work harder this year after last year’s dream season.

LSU baseball’s game against Grambling tonight has been rained out. The game has been rescheduled for April 13th. The Tigers snapped a two-game losing streak last night with a six to three win over Southeastern Louisiana.

La Tech’s game at Sam Houston State has also been rained out today. The Bulldogs scored six runs in the tenth inning to beat the Bearkats last night nine to three. Jorge Corona sparked the rally with a solo home run.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

Very little defense was played in the Smoothie King Center last night and it resulted in a bad loss for the Pelicans who fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 139 to 134. It’s only the third win since February for the T-Wolves. New Orleans also missed 25 three-point attempts and 11 free throws. The Pels are at Dallas tonight.

There were plenty of baskets made in the Cajundome last night and U-L Lafayette defeated Coastal Carolina 108 to 101. Cedric Russell had 28 points, P-J Hardy added 24 points. The Cajuns will host Arkansas State in a Sun Belt Tournament game on Saturday.

ULM’s season ended with a 61-57 loss to Appalachian State. The Warhawks finish with a nine and 20 record, five and 15 in the Sun Belt.

After getting no-hit on Sunday, LSU scored five runs in the first three innings last night and went on to a six to three win over Southeastern Louisiana. Cade Doughty hit his second home run of the season.

A week ago, LSU basketball suffered one of its worst losses of the year, a 15-point defeat at Florida. But the Tigers rebounded with a 14-point win over Texas A-and-M on Saturday. Coach Will Wade Wade expects his guys will give a good effort tonight in Fayetteville…
cut 18 (18) “as a group”
Wade is 2-and-0 in Bud Walton Arena. Tip off tonight is at six PM.

Louisiana Tech will host F-I-U tonight at the Thomas Assembly Center for their first home game in 18 days. The Bulldogs are in third place in the league standings and looking to get a first-round bye in next week’s Conference USA Tournament.

Back to college baseball…Louisiana Tech scored six-runs in the tenth inning to beat Sam Houston State 9-3. ULM blanked Jackson State two to nothing. The Cajuns crushed Rice eleven to two, Southern upended Northwestern State eight to seven, and Nicholls won in walk-off fashion over Valparaiso three to two.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

After getting no-hit on Sunday versus Oklahoma, 20th ranked LSU returns to the baseball diamond tonight to host Southeastern Louisiana. The Lions are 5-and-6 and also struggling at the plate, hitting just .233 as a team.

After scoring 65 runs in four games, Louisiana Tech is at Sam Houston State. The Bearkats are coming off a series in which they dropped two out of three to U-L Lafayette. Meanwhile, The Cajuns are at Rice tonight.

ULM and Jackson State meet tonight in Monroe. They come into tonight’s game ranked number one and two in the country in hitting.

LSU’s Beach volleyball squad is ranked number one after beating previously top-ranked UCLA on back-to-back weekends. It’s the first number one ranking in the program’s seven-year history.

LSU’s track and field women’s and men’s programs are ranked number one heading into the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships on March 13th and 14th.

Memphis’s victory over Atlanta last night puts the Grizzlies 3.5 games ahead of New Orleans for the final playoff spot in the West. The Pelicans host Minnesota at seven PM tonight. The NBA announced today that Zion Williamson is the Western Conference Rookie of the Month. The number one pick averaged 26 points and six rebounds in February and shot 56-percent from the field.

In college basketball action tonight, The Ragin Cajuns host Coastal Carolina. The winner of this game will host a first-round Sun Belt Tournament game on Saturday. ULM will not be in the Sun Belt Tourney so the Warhawks will host Appalachian State in their final game of the season tonight.

McNeese’s Dru Kuxhausen has been named Southland Player of the Week. He hit 14 threes in two games last week to break the conference record for most three-pointers in a season. The Pokes are at Nicholls tomorrow.

And LSU basketball is at Arkansas tomorrow, while La Tech hosts F-I-U.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

After getting no-hit on Sunday versus Oklahoma, 20th ranked LSU returns to the baseball diamond tonight to host Southeastern Louisiana. The Lions are 5-and-6 and also struggling at the plate. They have a team batting average of .233 and have just two home runs. First pitch 6:30.

After scoring 65 runs in four games, Louisiana Tech baseball is at Sam Houston State. The Bearkats are coming off a series in which they dropped two out of three to U-L Lafayette. The Cajuns are at Rice tonight.

ULM and Jackson State meet tonight in Monroe. They come into tonight’s game ranked number one and two in the country in hitting.

Spring football begins today for ULM. The Warhawks need a new starting quarterback as Caleb Evans has exhausted his eligibility. Red-shirt sophomore Colby Suits could be the guy.

Evangel needs a new football coach as Byron Dawson has been named as the new defensive line coach at Tulane.

In the NBA, Memphis beat Atlanta last night, so the Pelicans fall 3.5 games back of the Grizzlies for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Tonight, New Orleans hosts Minnesota as J-J Redick will miss his second straight game because of a left hamstring strain. Tip off is at 7:00.

There’s Sun Belt Action tonight too…The Ragin Cajuns host Coastal Carolina. The winner of this game will host a first-round Sun Belt Tournament game on Saturday. ULM will not be in the Sun Belt Tournament so the Warhawks will host Appalachian State in their final game of the season tonight.

Bossier Parish Community College will play at three PM against Coastal Ben College from Beeville, Texas in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 14 Tournament at the Gold Dome on Centenary’s campus.

McNeese’s Dru Kuxhausen has been named Southland Player of the Week. He hit 14 threes to break the conference record for most three-pointers in a season.