The Pelicans are in the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since 2011 after beating the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs 108-103. Anthony Davis had 31 points and Coach Monty Williams was impressed with how his young superstar performed with a lot on the line….
cut 4 (09) “…free throws”
Now the Pelicans will get ready for a best of seven series with top-seeded Golden State, which will begin Saturday afternoon in Oakland. Game two is Monday night. Games three and four will be in New Orleans, next Thursday and Saturday nights.

The LSU baseball team is heading to Georgia for a three-game series that starts tomorrow night against the Bulldogs. Coach Paul Mainieri has announced Alex Lange will get the start on Friday, after missing last weekend because of elbow tightness. The Tigers are coming off an 11-2 victory over Lamar last night.

Looking ahead to the weekend of college baseball…there’s a good match-up between state schools in Hammond as Southeastern Louisiana hosts McNeese for three games. The Lions lead the Southland Conference with an 11-and-four record and the Cowboys are right behind them with a 12-and-6 league mark. Northwestern State is also near the top of the standings. The Demons host Central Arkansas this weekend.

In the Sun Belt…ULM, who beat Northwestern State last night, will host Arkansas State, while the Ragin Cajuns are at Texas State. Louisiana Tech hosts UAB.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball has signed one of the top junior college basketball players in the country. His name is Justin Leon. He’s six-foot-eight and averaged 21.5 points and 10 rebounds last season for Shawnee Community College in Illinois.

ULM has signed a couple of prep basketball stars, six-foot-eight power forward Ramses Sandifer from Mississippi and six-foot-five guard Wade Martin from West Virginia. Sandifer averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds during his three-year career at St. Joseph’s High in Missipppi.