MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama men's basketball is set to hit the road once more in 2025, traveling to Lafayette to take on Louisiana on Wednesday, December 31 at noon CT inside the Cajundome.

Game Information

South Alabama (10–4, 1–1 SBC) vs. Louisiana (3–11, 1–1 SBC)
Date: Wednesday, December 31
Tip-off: Noon CT
Location: Lafayette, La. | Cajundome
Listen: Jags Radio Network
Stats: South Alabama StatBroadcast
Watch: ESPN+

Last Time Out

• South Alabama delivered a dominant wire-to-wire performance Monday night at the Mitchell Center, pulling away in the second half to secure an 85–52 victory over Mobile.

• Hantz Louis-Jeune led all scorers with 18 points, shooting 5-of-11 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 at the free-throw line while adding three steals. Stephen Williams turned in a strong all-around effort with 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting, eight rebounds, and two blocks.

• Jayden Cooper and Chaze Harris each added 13 points, while Brian Hawthorne chipped in 12 off the bench. John Broom rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points.

• The Jaguars shot 49.1 percent from the field and limited Mobile to just 27.9 percent shooting, holding the Rams to 24 points in the second half. South Alabama finished with 30 bench points and forced 14 turnovers, converting them into 15 points.

• Mobile stayed within striking distance in the first half behind eight three-pointers, but South Alabama closed the half strong to take a 37–28 lead into the locker room. The Jaguars opened the second half with a decisive 15–0 run over the first four minutes and built their largest lead of the night at 34 points before closing out the win.

Scouting the Ragin' Cajuns

• Louisiana enters Wednesday's contest riding a two-game winning streak after snapping a 10-game skid with a 76–62 victory over ULM last Saturday.

• The Ragin' Cajuns are led by first-year head coach Quannas White, who served as an assistant on Houston's national championship staff last season. 

• Dorian Finister ranks ninth in the Sun Belt in minutes played (31.7) and 21st in free-throw percentage (.737).

• Louisiana ranks fourth in the Sun Belt in three-point field goal percentage (.368) in conference games.

Series History

• South Alabama and Louisiana share a long-standing rivalry, with the all-time series tied at 33–33. The Jaguars swept the season series last year but hold a 15–17 record in games played in Lafayette.

• In the most recent meeting, South Alabama clinched its first regular-season Sun Belt title since 2008 with a 65–42 victory at the Mitchell Center.

Notes You Need to Know

• South Alabama cruised past Mobile on Monday night while dressing just eight available players. Hantz Louis-Jeune scored a season-high 18 points, while Chaze Harris and Jayden Cooper each added 13. Stephen Williams finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, Brian Hawthorne chipped in 12 off the bench, and John Broom added 10. Adam Olsen and Maxwell Land were sidelined due to injury.

• Senior guard Chaze Harris was named Sun Belt Player of the Week on Wednesday, Dec. 23, after averaging 30.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3.0 steals per game while shooting 25-for-42 (.595) from the field during the opening week of Sun Belt play. Harris opened the week with a career performance at ULM, pouring in 38 points on 16-for-22 shooting while adding eight assists, six steals, and five rebounds in nearly 47 minutes during a double-overtime comeback victory on Dec. 17.

• Harris has scored in double figures in 12 of South Alabama's 15 games this season. Over the last four contests, he has averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the field. He ranks among the Sun Belt's top five players in both scoring and assists per game and leads the conference in percentage of possessions used (35.5), accounting for 30.3 percent of the Jaguars' total shots, according to KenPom.

• South Alabama has played nine of its last 11 games away from home. According to TeamRankings.com, the Jaguars are tied for the most road wins (7) and the most true road wins (4) in the nation. South Alabama owns a 7–4 record away from home this season, including true road wins at Jacksonville State, UTSA, Toledo, and ULM, while remaining undefeated at neutral sites against Central Michigan, Coppin State, and New Mexico State. Over the last seven road games, the Jaguars have traveled approximately 5,260 miles across six states.

• Defensively, South Alabama has focused on protecting the paint and forcing opponents to rely heavily on the three-point line. The Jaguars rank first nationally in three-pointers attempted against, allowing opponents to average 38.7 attempts per game — eight more than any other team in the country — while holding opponents to 31.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

• South Alabama is 6–3 in games decided by 10 points or fewer this season, with five contests decided on the final possession. Overall, 76 of the Jaguars' last 140 games have been decided by eight points or fewer.

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