Tomorrow is the funeral for Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson. Some are concerned about the future of the professional sports teams. Kelley Ray has more from a team executive…
Cut 4 (26) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

The Pelicans are back at it again tonight as they host the Lakers at the Smoothie King Center. It’s the third game in three nights for New Orleans, who won on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be the fifth game in six days for the Pelicans, who are tied for fifth place in the West with San Antonio.

LSU fell behind 4-0 to Tulane, but scored the next ten runs to beat the Green Wave 10-4. Sophomore center fielder Zach Watson was 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs as he continues to swing a hot bat. Watson has three straight three-hit games and it was his fifth straight multi-hit game. LSU’s bullpen was very good again as the last 15 Tulane batters went down in order.

Sophomore pitcher Tyler Follis threw seven hitless innings last night as Louisiana Tech took down ULM six to one at J-C Love Field. Tech improved to 17-6 on the season. Dalton Skelton’s hitting streak is up to 15 games as he singled up the middle in the first and homered for the third time this season in the seventh inning. Tech is at UAB this weekend.

The Ragin Cajuns continue to play well in midweek games as they defeated McNeese five to two yesterday. UL Lafayette hosts Troy this weekend.

And also last night….Southeastern Louisiana couldn’t hold on to a 3-nothing lead and lost to Jackson State four to three.

A team official says the Saints and Pelicans are committed to Louisiana and the city of New Orleans. With Tom Benson’s death, there are questions surrounding the fate of both teams in one of the smallest sports markets in the country. Saints and Pels President Dennis Lauscha says he and Benson’s widow, Gayle, are both committed to keeping the teams in New Orleans…

Cut 17 (14) “…New Orleans”

Today is the final day of the two-day public visitation for Tom Benson.

The Pelicans won their third straight last night as they defeated the Indiana Pacers 96-92. Anthony Davis had 28 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots. E’Twaun (E-twon) Moore added 23 points to help New Orleans overcome a night where they had 20 turnovers. The Pelicans host the Lakers tonight for a third game in three nights.

________________________________________________________

Freshman Daniel Cabrera had a career-high four hits and Zach Watson had another big night with three more hits as the Tigers rallied back from an early deficit to beat Tulane 10-4. LSU fell behind 4-0 in the third inning, but took control of the game with a five-run 5^th inning. Watson drove in three runs, Brandt Broussard had two runs batted in and so did Antoine Duplantis.

Louisiana Tech pitching gave up two hits and the Bulldogs beat ULM 6-1. Tyler Follis gave up a run, but didn’t give up a hit in seven innings to get the win. Left fielder Mason Mallard hit his 4^th home run and drove in three runs.

The Ragin Cajuns jumped out to a 4-0 lead and beat McNeese 5-2. Gavin Bourgeois and Daniel Lahare each had two hits and drove in a run.

Jackson State edged Southeastern Louisiana 4-3 and Stephen F Austin defeated Grambling 14-3.

One NFL note, restricted free agent and Saints wide receiver Willie Snead visits with the Baltimore Ravens today. Snead caught just eight passes last season after serving a three-game suspension to begin the year.

A public visitation is underway for Saints and Pelicans Owner Tom Benson at Notre Dame Seminary on South Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans. Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis and President Dennis Lauscha were among the first to arrive.

All-Star Anthony Davis had 37 points last night as the Pelicans defeated the Dallas Mavericks 115 to 105. It’s New Orleans second straight win and they were able to do it without Jrue Holiday, who was home with flu-like symptoms. The Pels host Indiana tonight in a game that was re-scheduled from February, because of a leaky roof.

LSU-Alexandria is N-A-I-A Division One National runner-ups after losing at the buzzer 83-80 in overtime to Graceland, Iowa. The Generals got a big game from Jordin Williams, who had 37 points. It was L-S-U-A’s first lost since February 8th and the team finishes with a record of 29-and-8.

A six-foot-six freshman from New York will make his college debut on the mound for the Tigers tonight against Tulane as Coach Paul Mainieri says Nick Storz is finally healthy enough to pitch…
cut 20 (09) “….from Brooklyn”
Storz had surgery on his shoulder in September and his return to the mound has been delayed by shoulder fatigue. First pitch tonight against the Green Wave is at 6:30.

Also tonight, the Ragin Cajuns are at McNeese State. UL-Lafayette has lost four of its last six, while the Cowboys have won six in a row. First pitch is at 6 Pm at Joe Miller Ballpark.

ULM is at Louisaina Tech. The Warhawks have lost six of their last eight. The Bulldogs beat Northwestern State six to three last night as the Bulldogs have won nine of their last 10.

And Southeastern Louisiana is at Jackson State. The Lions were beaten by South Alabama six to one last night.

The Pelicans started a run of three games in three consecutive nights with a 115 to 105 victory over Dallas. Anthony Davis had 37 points and eight rebounds. Rajon Rondo had 19 points and 14 assists and Cheick Diallo had 19 points and 14 rebounds. New Orleans is back at it tonight as they host Indiana. We’ll see if Jrue Holiday will play tonight, he missed last night’s game with flu-like symptoms.

Heartbreaking loss for LSU Alexandria last night in the NAIA championship game. Graceland sank a three pointer at the buzzer in overtime for an 83-80 win over the Generals. LSU-A trailed by 13 points with 13 minutes left, but Jordin Williams had 31 points to lead the comeback that ended up a little short.

In Saints news, offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod is officially back with the Black and Gold. And the Saints are reportedly one of ten teams interested in former Jacksonville wide receiver Allen Hurns, who was cut by the Jags this week.

At LSU spring football, based on what the players said, the defense won last Saturday’s scrimmage. But Tigers defensive end Rashard Lawrence has liked what he’s seen from the LSU offense under new offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger…

Cut 18 (19) “…every day”

In college baseball last night…5^th ranked Ole Miss downed UNO 9-4. 16^th ranked Southern Miss over Southern 12-1. Louisiana Tech doubled up Northwestern State six to three. Chris Clayton’s three run homer was the difference and South Alabama upended Southeastern Louisiana six to one.

Tonight, it’s LSU hosting Tulane. The Green Wave have won four straight between the old in state rivals.

A difficult stretch begins tonight for the Pelicans. They have to play three games in three nights, starting with tonight’s contest against the Dallas Mavericks. Tomorrow, New Orleans hosts Indiana. It’s a rescheduled game from February, when the floor at the Smoothie King Center was too wet to play on, because of a leaky roof.

LSU couldn’t defend the three-point shot and their season is over as they were defeated 95-71 in the second round of the NIT. Utah hit 14 three-poitners and shot 58-percent from the field for the game. The Tigers season ends with an 18-and-15 record.

LSU-Alexandria plays for its first NAIA championship tonight as they face Graceland. The Generals defeated William Penn 84-75 last night. L-S-U-A can become the first school in Louisiaina to win a national championship in basketball since Grambling State won an NAIA title in 1961.

Saints legend Steve Gleason is said to be in good spirits despite spending his birthday in the hospital. The former football player who has battled A-L-S since 2011, was hospitalized Friday, because of a low-grade fever and back pain. That’s according to his father-in-law, who spoke with NOLA.com. Gleason turned 41-years-old on Monday and is expected to be released from the hospital later this week.

Tomorrow begins a two-day visitation for Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson. Visitation tomorrow is from 10 AM to 7 PM at Notre Dame Seminary on Carrollton Avenue.

New Saints linebacker Demario Davis is thrilled with the opportunity to play for a winning organization….
cut 18 (15) “…I can”
The 29-year-old had 135 tackles and five sacks with the Jets last season.

Utah buried 14 three-pointers in a 95-71 victory over the LSU Tigers. The loss eliminates LSU from the second round of the NIT. Tremont Waters had 19 points for the Bayou Bengals, Skylar Mays added 16 points and Aaron Epps had 12 points in his final game in an LSU uniform.

LSU-Alexandria has advanced to the N-A-I-A championship game with an 84-75 victory over William Penn. Brandon Moss led the way with 21 points and 9 rebounds. LSU-A will play Graceland in the title game tonight in Kansas City.

Former UL Lafayette basketball player J-J Thomas has passed way. He played for the Ragin Cajuns from 2010 to 2012. A cause of death has not been made public.

The Pelicans begin a stretch of three games in three days. They host Dallas tonight, tomorrow its Indiana to play a game that was postponed because of a wet court in February.

Saints legend Steve Gleason is said to be in good spirits despite spending his birthday in the hospital. The former football player has battled A-L-S since 2011 and he was hospitalized on Friday because of a low-grade fever and back pain. That’s according to his father-in-law, who spoke with NOLA.com. Gleason turned 41-years-old on Monday is expected to be released from the hospital later this week.

New Saints linebacker Demario Davis played for the New York Jets last season and the former Arkansas State standout was very productive with 135 tackles and five sacks. According to Next Gen Stats, Davis had the fastest sack in the regular season during Week 7, when it took him 2.09 seconds to sack the quarterback….
cut 17 (18) “….the quarterback”
Davis says he’s looking forward to winning a Super Bowl in New Orleans.

Will Wade’s first season as head coach of the LSU Tigers is in the books as the Bayou Bengals were eliminated in NIT by Utah 95-71. It was never close as the Utes shot 71-percent in the first quarter to take a 30-11 lead. Utah ended up shooting 58-percent for the game and hit 14 three-pointers. Despite foul trouble, Tremont Waters had 19 for LSU, who finish with an 18-15 record.

In the N-A-I-A semifinals….Graceland from Iowa beat L-S-U Shreveport 87-80. While L-S-U Alexandria defeated William Penn 84-75 as Brandon Moss had 21 points. LSU-A advances to play Graceland in the N-A-I-A title tonight.

UL Lafayette basketball is mourning the death of J-J Thomas who played for the Ragin Cajuns from 2010 to 2012. Thomas averaged about ten points a game in Lafayette after a standout prep career at Scotlandville.

_____________________________________________________________________

New Saints linebacker Demario Davis is thrilled with the opportunity to play for a winning organization. The Mississippi native says playing close to home was also a huge factor in his decision to ink a free agent deal with the Black and Gold. He told reporters on a conference call that he plans to be an aggressive player….

Cut 16 (12) “…as possible”

The 29-year-old played for the New York Jets last season and the former Arkansas State standout was very productive with 135 tackles and five sacks.

A public visitation begins tomorrow for the late Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson, who died last week at the age of 90. Friday is the funeral and Sunday the NFL owners’ meetings will take place in Orlando. The Advocate reports Gayle Benson will be in attendance, as she begins her new role running both the Saints and Pelicans.

The Pels begin a stretch of three games in three days tonight as they host Dallas.

The LSU men’s basketball team faces Utah tonight in the second round of the N-I-T. The Utes are led by senior point guard Justin Bibbins, who is averaging almost 15 points a game and he’s shooting 45-percent from three-point territory. They also have two six-foot-ten senior forwards, who are averaging in double figures. Head Coach Will Wade on Utah’s offense…
cut 18 (15) “…around the rim”
Tip-off is at 8:00.

Heath Schroyer was introduced today as the new men’s basketball coach at McNeese. Schroyer believes there’s untapped potential in Lake Charles and his idea for the program is to find players who are loyal, play with passion and are unselfish and have a champions’ worth ethic. The 40-year-old has been a head coach at Portland State, Wyoming, and UT Martin.

After winning two of three from Missouri this past weekend, LSU is ranked 15th in this week’s Collegiate Baseball Poll. The Tigers defeated Missouri seven to five yesterday. LSU had 13 hits, but they had a couple of runners thrown out on the base paths and made two errors in the field. Coach Paul Mainieri says it’s nice to take the series, but they have to play better to win on the road at Vanderbilt next weekend…
cut 20 (20) “…did wrong”
LSU hosts Tulane on Wednesday night.

Southeastern Louisiana is on a five-game winning streak and they are now ranked 28th by Collegiate Baseball. The Lions swept a conference series at Lamar and they are one game back of Sam Houston in the Southland standings.

Louisiana Tech’s Dalton Skelton ahs been named the co-hitter of the week, He’s on a 13-game hiiting streak.

LSU freshman right-hander Ma’Khail Hilliard gave up his first two runs of the season in the first inning, but that was it, as Hilliard pitched six solid innings to help the Fighting Tigers beat Missouri 7-5 in the rubber match of a three-game series. Coach Paul Mainieri is impressed with how Hilliard was able to bounce back….
Cut 19 (19) “on the mound”
LSU hosts Tulane on Wednesday.

Louisiana Tech is at Northwestern State tomorrow. The Bulldogs have won eight of their last nine and swept Rice over the weekend. Tech’s team ERA of 1.98 is the second best in the country.

McNeese and Southeastern Louisiana swept their series this past weekend. They are 5-1 in the Southland, while Sam Houston State is 6-0.

Anthony Davis had 34 points and 11 rebounds as the Pelicans defeated the Boston Celtics 108-89 last night. New Orleans also got a big contribution from Cheick Diallo, who came off the bench to score a season-high 17 points and six rebounds.

The LSU Tigers are at Utah in a second round NIT matchup tonight. Coach Will Wade’s team has lost seven straight road games…
cut 17 (16) “….a little bit”
Tip-off is at 8 :00.

In the NCAA Tournament, New Orleans area native Billy Kennedy has led Texas A-and-M to the Sweet 16 as the Aggies knocked off the defending national champs, North Carolina, 86-65. And Nevada stormed back from a 22-point deficit to shock Cincinnati 75-73. The Wolfpack’s Head coach is Eric Musselman, a former LSU assistant and his associate head coach is Johnny Jones.

Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis told W-W-L Radio the ownership transition from Tom Benson to Gayle Benson will be a smooth one and the organiziation will remain stable. Loomis says Mrs. Benson has been involved pretty much from the day she and Mr. Benson got marrried.

Gayle Benson has released a statement saying she’s heartbroken over the passing of her husband. She says the Saints and Pelicans organiziations will move forward successfully together.

Details of Mr. Benson’s will have become public. It makes it clear that his wife shall run the professional sports franchsies. And that his daugther and her grandchildren do not get a single penny from him. It’s still unclear if a legal challenge is coming. His estranged former heirs argued Mr. Benson was not mentally fit to make these type of decisions late in his life.

The Pelicans play their first home game tonight since the passing away of Mr. Benson. They take on the Houston Rockets in the first game of a stretch of five games in six days.

The LSU baseball team won its SEC opener last night as the Tigers defeated Missouri four to two. Zack Hess got the win to run his record to 3-2. He struck out eight and allowed just two runs on three hits. But he walked five, including three in a row in the seventh. Austin Bain earned the save and Beau Jordan homered, while Zach Watson drove in two runs.

Louisiana Tech trounced Rice 8-2 and the two teams will play a doubleheader today. Georgia Southern doubled up the Ragin Cajuns six to three. Grambling outslugged Southern 10-6. Nicholls won in extra innings 5-4 over Houston Baptist, Southeastern Louisiana defeated Lamar 6-4, McNeese beat Stephen F- Austin seven to five. Tulane and UNO both lost.

Former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu has signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans. The Saints have agreed to a five-year contract extension with punter Thomas Morstead. And the Black and Gold have reportedly reupped with pass rusher Alex Okafor for two more years.