Rejuvenated Cajuns Run By Warhawks, 81-60
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns got two of their injured players back on Saturday.
Amazing what happens when you are (semi) healthy.
The Cajuns dressed nine scholarship players for the first time in three weeks and rolled to an 81-60 win over the ULM Warhawks Saturday night before a season-high 4,206 at the Cajundome Saturday night.
Jalen Johnson scored a career high 27 points to lead the Cajuns (8-13, 3-7 Sun Belt) to the decisive win. Tirus Smith scored all of his eleven points in the second half, while Cedric Russell, who missed the last game because of injury, added ten points.
P. J. Hardy and Malik Wilson added nine points each for the Cajuns. It was Wilson's first action in the last five games after suffering a knee injury against Appalachian State on January 6th.
Hardy's defense was key in the game, as he held ULM's leading scorer Michael Ertel to 13 points, including one field goal in the second half.
The Cajuns led just 30-27 late in the first half before Johnson scored on an old fashioned three point play and Mason Aucoin buried a three pointer as time expired for a 36-27 halftime lead.
After ULM (6-13, 2-8) cut the lead to 38-34 early in the second half, Hardy drained a three pointer to spark an 11-2 run to give the Cajuns a 49-36 lead. Smith scored inside on two occasions as the Cajuns went on another 10-0 run to put the game away.
The Cajuns hit 26-32 free throws in the game, while ULM made just 11-21. Tyree White led ULM with a double-double, with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Louisiana will head to Texas on Wednesday to take on UT Arlington in a Thursday contest at the College Park Center in Arlington.