Louisiana Radio Network Sports, I’m Brooke Thorington…

A memorable LSU basketball season ended last night as Michigan State hit 13 three pointers in an 80-63 victory over the Tigers. Tremont (Tray-mont) Waters had 23 points, but Skylar Mays had just seven points and Javonte Smart was scoreless. Now we wait to see what happens with Will Wade as a result of the FBI wiretap scandal.

Elsewhere… Auburn upset top seeded North Carolina 97-80, while Kentucky got past Houston 62-58. So it will be an all SEC regional final in the Midwest on Sunday.

LSU’s bats busted out of its hitting slump with a solid 10-5 win over second ranked Mississippi State. Chris Reid and C-J Willis each drove in three runs and Cole Henry struck out nine over five innings for his second win of the season. The Tigers can win the series on Saturday at 1 PM when the two teams wrap up their series.

Louisiana Radio Network Sports
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Matt Miller improved to 3-and-0 on the season as Louisiana Tech held on for a three to two win over U-A-B. Braxton Smith earned his fourth save.

In nearby Monroe, Georgia Southern outscored U-L-M nine to eight. The Warhawks had five errors and they fall to 0-and-7 in the Sun Belt. The Ragin Cajuns scored three runs in the first inning, but Troy came back to beat U-L Lafayette five to four.

In the Southland, Southeastern Louisiana got a big win over Stephen F Austin as the Lions won five to one. S-L-U has won seven in a row. McNeese scored three runs in the ninth inning to beat the Bearcats four to three. Brett Whelton’s two run single in the ninth pushed the Pokes past Sam Houston.

Nicholls doubled up Lamar four to two thanks to a big three-run eighth inning. Houston Baptist clobbered Northwestern State 10-to-2. Prairie View pounded Southern 10-6 and Abilene Christian clipped Grambling seven to four.

The Pelicans host Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow.

LSU and Michigan State tip off tonight just after 6 PM as the two teams battle for a spot in the Elite eight. The Spartans have won 12 of their last 14 and they are led by point guard Cassius Winston. Tonight’s premiere match-up is Winston against LSU point guard Tremont Waters.

LSU will match up against Mississippi State on the baseball diamond tonight. The Bulldogs won game one of the series last night, holding on for six to five win. Zack Hess suffered the loss as he gave up three home runs. Daniel Cabrera hit a two-run blast for LSU. Cole Henry starts on the hill for the Tigers. First pitch is at 6 PM. The final game of the series has been moved up to 1 PM tomorrow, because of the chance of thunderstorms in Starkville on Saturday.

In other college baseball action tonight. the Cajuns are at Troy, ULM hosts Georgia Southern. McNeese visits Sam Houston State, Southeastern is at Stephen F Austin and Louisiana Tech hosts UAB. First pitch is at 6 PM.

A bill has been filed for the regular session that will begin in a little over a week that calls for fines, community service and possibly even a short time in jail for any person that harasses an official at a school or recreation athletic contest. Metairie Representative Cameron Henry says refs and umps, especially those who are in college trying to make some extra money, should not be subject to relentless verbal abuse…
cut 14 (11) “…this conversation”
Metairie Senator Danny Martiny who tried to legalize sports betting in last year’s regular session has filed a similiar bill this year. It has the support of the governor and debate will begin after the session gavels in on April 9th.

The Pelicans got a rare win last night as New Orleans defeated Sacramento 121-118. Only the second win the team’s last 11 contests. Julius Randle led the way with 34 points. There’s just five games left in the regular season. New Orleans will host the dysfunctional Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at 5 PM.

The LSU men’s basketball team will attempt to keep its run through the NCAA Tournament going tonight when they face Michigan State. It’s been an emotional year for the Tigers losing their head coach to suspension and of course at the beginning of the season, the fatal shooting of Wayde Sims, who was gunned down just outside of the Southern campus the night before the start of the first practice. Interim head coach Tony Benford says the team has carried Sims memory through the tournament….
cut 8 (12) “….Wayde Sims”
Benford says it will be a game of wills. He says executing in the half court will be a key, can’t turn it over and they need to do a good job on the offensive glass, like they’ve done all season long. Tip off is at 6:09. The winner of this game, will face the winner of the tonight’s game between Duke and Virginia Tech on Sunday.

LSU baseball will look to snap a four-game losing streak tonight when they face second ranked Mississippi State. The Bulldogs held on for a six to five win last night to take game one of the series. Freshman Cole Henry gets the start on the hill. He was brillant last week, but was a tough luck loser in a two to nothing loss. First pitch tonight is just after 6 PM.

La Tech and Southern are the only two college baseball teams from Louisiana playing at home this weekend. The Bulldogs who are coming off a series victory at Middle Tennessee, will host UAB. Matt Miller will start on the mound for Tech tonight as he threw eight innings last week and allowed one run. First pitch is at 6 PM tonight.

The Jaguars lead the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division standings as they are 8-1. Southern faces Prairie View tonight.

LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton is back on the football field for the Tigers. He’s been out almost four months. after undergoing ankle surgery. LSU’s spring game is a week from Saturday.

And La Tech will host Southeastern in football in 2021.

The LSU basketball team will try to keep its run through the NCAA Tournament going tonight when they face Michigan State in an East Regional semifinal matchup. Many will say the Spartans have the coaching advantage with Tom Izzo, but Tigers interim head coach Tony Benford says he’s ready for the moment….
cut 9 (11) “…in that”
The big matchup to watch tonight is the battle of point guards, Tremont Waters for LSU and Cassius Winston for Michigan State. Winston is averaging almost 19 points and eight assists a game and he’s shooting over 40-percent from three-point range. Tip-off is just after 6 PM tonight.

ULM’s season ended last night as the Warhawks lost to Johnny Jones and the Texas Southern Tigers 108-102 in triple overtime. Michael Ertel had 24 points for ULM, who finished with a 19-and-16 record.

The 17th ranked LSU baseball team lost its fourth straight last night falling to Mississippi State six to five. The Tigers struck out 17 times and Zack Hess got knocked around as he gave up three home runs. LSU falls to 4-3 in the SEC and will look to even up the series tonight at 6 PM, with Cole Henry on the mound.

In other action, McNeese and Southeastern Louisiana begin a tough series on the road. The Cowboys are at Sam Houston State, while the Lions visit Stephen F Austin. Northwestern State is at Houston Baptist, while Nicholls is in Beaumont to take on Lamar.

ULM looks for its first Sun Belt win as the Warhawks visit Georgia Southern, the Ragin Cajuns are at Troy, while Louisiana Tech hosts UAB.

In the NBA, the Pelicans defeated the Sacramento Kings 121-118 last night as Julius Randle had 34 points and 11 rebounds and Christian Wood added 25 points.

LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton is back on the football field for the Tigers. He’s been out almost four months. after undergoing ankle surgery. LSU’s spring game is a week from Saturday.

The 12th ranked LSU baseball team begins another difficult SEC road series tonight when they meet 2nd ranked Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are 23-3 overall and they’ve scored 53 runs in their last three games. They are led by senior outfielder Jake Mangum, who is hitting over four-hundred. Coach Paul Mainieri says Mangum is one of the best to ever play SEC baseball…
cut 17 (22) “starting pitchers”
Junior left-hander Ethan Small will start for the Bulldogs tonight and the Tigers are having difficulty hitting southpaws as of late.

Last night, Northwestern State doubled up Southern six to three, while ULM crushed Jackson State 10-1 for its second straight win.

The LSU men’s basketball team arrived in Washington D-C last night as the program is getting ready to make its 10th Sweet 16 appearance. The Tigers will meet Michigan State on Fiday in the East Regional semi-finals. The winner advances to play the winner of Duke-Virignia Tech. A good contingent of Tiger fans are expected to be in the Capital One Arena for the game. Secretary for the LSU DC Alumni chapter, Ginger Gibson says she’s looking forward to see more purple and gold in the nation’s capital…
cut 12 (12) “…be Virginia Tech”
Tip time on Friday is at 6:09 PM.

LSU and Florida have become bigger rivals on the football lately, as the scheudling of a football in 2016 because of a hurricane got heated between the two athletic departments. The Gators will return to Tiger Stadium in 2019 and LSU has announced that the homecoming game for next season. That would be October 12th.

Saints Owner Gayle Benson and head coach Sean Payton have convinced NFL owners to give coaches the opportunity to challenge pass interference and non-pass interference calls. Heading into the NFL owners meetings, there was resistance in expanding replay use for penalties, but Payton says after some convincing, there was majority support for pass interference calls
Cut 8 (06) “…got it right”
The vote was 31-1 in favor of the rule change. So starting next season, Coaches can now challenge questionable pass interference plays until the last two minutes and then it’s subject to a booth review.

For the second time in three games, LSU baseball was shutout. The Tigers fell to McNeese two to nothing last night as the Cowboys scored their two runs on wild pitches. The Tigers managed just four hits and begin a three-game series at Mississippi State on Thursday.

ULM snapped a 10-game losing streak to La Tech with a 9-4 win over the Bulldogs. Frank Colton’s walk off homer gave the Cajuns a seven-six victory over Tulane.

LSU basketball flies out today for Washington D-C where they’ll face Michigan State on Friday night in the Sweet 16. If the Tigers can keep winning in the NCAA Tournament, the national attention will only grow, since they are playing without suspended head coach Will Wade. But Interim Head Coach Tony Benford is not concerned about the spotlight getting brigther…
cut 17 (17) “every day”
LSU is a six point underdog against the Spartans

In other SEC basketball news….Arkansas has fired head coach Mike Anderson after eight years in Fayetteville. Anderson led the Hogs to the NCAA Tournament three times, but this past season they went 18-and-16.

The Pelicans lost to Atlanta Hawks 130-120. Earlier in the day, New Orleans announced that Jrue Holiday will miss the rest of the season after he had surgery to repair a damaged ab muscle.

The Saints got a victory at the NFL Owners meeting in Arizona as the league has decided to expand instant replay, giving coaches the ability to review all offensive and defensive pass interference calls, in addition to non-calls. Coach Sean Payton lobbied hard for the change after his team was denied a chance of reaching the Super Bowl because of a non pass interference call in the NFC Championship game. Owner Gayle Benson says owners are compassionate about the issue, because they don’t want what happened to the Saints, to happen to them.

LSU’s hitting woes continued last night and it cost them a loss as McNeese blanked the Tigers two to nothing. It’s the third win for the Cowboys in the last four meetings against the Tigers. Freshman right hander Brett Payne threw six shutout innings and struck out five.

ULM scored five runs in the eighth inning as the Warhawks defeated La Tech nine to four. Blake Buckman belted a three-run homer. Frank Colton hit a walk off homer as the Cajuns defeated Tulane seven to six.

The LSU men’s basketball team leaves for Washington D-C today where they’ll take on the Michigan State Spartans on Friday night in the Sweet 16. The Spartans have a hall of fame coach in Tom Izzo, who has a 52-20 record in NCAA Tournament games. LSU Interim Head Coach Tony Benford on playing the Spartans…
Cut 16 (14) “in transition”
In other SEC basketball news….Arkansas has fired Mike Anderson after eight years in Fayetteville. Anderson led the Hogs to the NCAA Tournament three times, but this past season they went 18-and-16.

The Pelicans lost to Atlanta Hawks 130-120. Earlier in the day, New Orleans announced that Jrue Holiday will miss the rest of the season after he had surgery to repair a damaged ab muscle. The Pels are now 1-and-8 since their starting shooting guard went down with an injury.

At the NFL Owners meeting in Arizona, the Saints are leading the charge to expand the use of instant replay. Head coach Sean Payton, who sits on the competition committee, says the NFL cannot fear change, and warned that another blown call in a significant game could damage the league’s image and integrity.
Cut 8 (09) “…alarming”
Payton is pushing a proposal that would allow teams to challenge no calls. 24 of the 32 owners would have to agree for the change to take place, but a vote might not occur until May.

After days of specualtion, the Saints announced the signing of 2018 Pro Bowl tight end Jared Cook today. The 32-year-old has reportedly received a two-year contract worth 15.5 million dollars. Cook is expected to help draw defenders away from star wide receiver Michael Thomas. Cook caught 68 passes for the Raiders last year.

Tonight at Alex Box Stadium, the Fighting Tigers host McNeese State. Sophomore right-hander Ma-Khail Hilliard will get the start for the Tigers. LSU’s starters pitched well last weekend in Georgia, including a great start from freshman Cole Henry. Henry struck out eight in 7.1 innings and Coach Paul Mainieri says the sky’s the limit for the Alabama native…
cut 18 (17) “….out there”
After tonight’s game against the Cowboys, the Tigers will visit Mississippi State for a three game series starting on Thursday.

The season is over for Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday. The team announced that Holiday had surgery to repair a core muscle injury. He missed the past eight games because of a strained abdomen. New Orleans hosts the Atlanta Hawks tonight.

LSU basketball leaves tomorrow for D-C where they’ll play Michigan State on Friday night. The Tigers are a six-point underdog.

The rumored deal between tight end Jared Cook and the Saints is finally official as the Black and Gold announce they’ve signed the ten-year NFL veteran. Cook is coming off his most productive season as a professional as he caught 68 passes for 896 yards and six touchdowns with the Raiders. At the NFL owners meetings in Arizona, Payton says Cook is a good fit for their offense…
cut 30 (19) “…tape of him”
And Saints leadership is making a push to change the rules so the “no call” in the NFC Championship game can never happen again. There are proposals on the table to expand the use of instant replay, but it will take 24 of the 32 NFL owners to agree to a change. Any significant rule may have to wait for the next owners meetings in May.

The 12th ranked LSU baseball team scored just eight runs in its three game series with Georgia last weekend. Coach Paul Mainieri gives credit to the Bulldogs pitching staff, but admits the Tigers need more production from their right handed hitters…
cut 17 (25) “right handed side”
Mainieri is hoping catcher Saul Garza can get it going at the plate and he’ll get the start tonight as the Tigers host McNeese.

Also today, ULM is at Louisiana Tech. The Warhawks have lost seven in a row, while Tech has won the last 10 games in the series between the two schools. Nicholls faces Southern Miss at the Shrine on Airline. The Golden Eagles have won seven in a row. Also, Southeastern is at South Alabama.

Saints Owner Gayle Benson believes changes are coming to instant replay in the NFL, but it will likely not occur during this round of owner meetings that are underway in Arizona. Benson is lobbying for changes after a non-pass interference call prevented a trip to the Super Bowl for the Black and Gold. Benson says the leagues knows how they feel and it will take some time to go through the process and get the 24 owner votes needed to change the rules. There’s another set of NFL Owner meetings in May.

Benson was also asked about the Pelicans and said there is no way she would sell the team. There’s been reports the Pelicans could be on the move to Seattle or another city, but Benson says she values the Pels as much as the Saints.

The Pelicans host the Atlanta Hawks tonight. New Orleans has lost six straight.

The LSU basketball gets a practice in today and tomorrow they are off to D-C where they’ll play Michigan State on Friday night in the Sweet 16.

LSU baseball has fallen a few spots in the national rankings as a result of losing two of three to Georgia, who is ranked in the top 10 in the major polls. LSU won by one run on Friday night and the Tigers lost by two runs in the next two games. Coach Paul Mainieri says it was a great series between two evenly matched teams…
cut 16 (16) “…winning the series”
The Tigers host McNeese tonight.

In other action, ULM is at Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs are beginning an eight-game homestand. The Warhawks have lost seven in a row, while Tech has won the last 10 games in the series between the two schools.

Nicholls faces Southern Miss at the Shrine on Airline. The Golden Eagles have won seven in a row. Parker White starts on the hill for the Colonels.

Also, Southeastern is at South Alabama.