Cajuns Host Coastal Carolina Saturday Night

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns will look to remain undefeated in the early part of their Sun Belt schedule Saturday night when they play host to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Saturday night at 7:00 at the Cajundome.

Louisiana (13-3, 3-0) is the only undefeated team in the league and the only team to have two road wins during the early part of the conference schedule.  The Cajuns are fresh off a dominating 78-45 thrashing of Appalachian State Thursday night, despite the absence of leading scorer JaKeenan Gant, out indefinitely with a thumb injury.

Coastal Carolina (7-9, 1-3) comes into town after dropping an 82-72 decision to ULM Thursday night in Monroe.

This will be only the third ever meeting between the two teams and the first time the Chants have ever played in the Cajundome.  Coastal is coached by veteran Cliff Ellis, who has won more than 800 career games in his long career, with stops at Cumberland, South Alabama, Auburn and Clemson before taking the CCU job eleven years ago.  He is fifth in all time wins among active coaches, behind Mike Kryzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, Bob Huggins and Roy Williams.

Newcomer Zac Cuthbertson (16.5) leads the Chanticleers in scoring.  The 6-7 junior college transfer also averages 6.6 rebounds per game, second on the squad.  All-Conference guard Jaylen Shaw averages 16 points per game and shoots better than 36 percent from three point range.

The game will feature the two best rebounding teams in the Sun Belt.  Coastal leads the league in rebound margin (8.4) while the Cajuns are right behind at 7.1.  Louisiana's Bryce Washington (10.3) leads the league in rebounding.  Coastal's Demario Beck is ninth in the league in that category with Cuthbertson eleventh.

This is the second of three straight home games for the Cajuns, who will host ULM next Saturday.