LAFAYETTE — Louisiana men’s basketball entered Saturday’s Sun Belt Conference matchup at 1-2 in league play, welcoming Southern Miss to the Cajundome for a rematch looking to gain ground in the standings.
The first half was tightly contested as Dorian Finister and De’Vion Lavergne set the tone early for the Cajuns. The duo combined for 31 points, helping Louisiana keep pace heading into the break.
Lavergne, who finished with a team-high 18 points, said his confidence has grown since the teams’ first meeting earlier this season.
“I don’t know, something clicked after we played Southern Miss at their place,” Lavergne said. “Ever since then I’ve just been feeling confident playing the position consistently.”
Southern Miss countered with a dominant interior presence, scoring 38 points in the paint behind Djahi Binet. The Golden Eagles’ big man poured in a game-high 24 points, repeatedly creating second-chance opportunities.
Freshman guard Joshua Lewis, who scored 12 points for Louisiana, said slowing Binet down was a challenge the Cajuns struggled to meet.
“That’s where we’ve got to step up and take the challenge, just put a body on him every play, every possession,” Lewis said. “Not let him get anything easy and make him work for everything.”
Head coach Quannas White echoed that sentiment, pointing to rebounding and interior defense as key factors.
“I thought Binet was relentless,” White said. “We didn’t do a good job of keeping him off the glass. You can’t give guys second- and third-chance opportunities. It just weighs on you.”
The second half followed a familiar script for Louisiana. Much like its recent loss to South Alabama, the Cajuns found themselves in position late but couldn’t close. Louisiana held a 51-50 lead with 8:08 remaining, but four turnovers sparked a Southern Miss 7-0 run that swung momentum for good in 74-67 finish.
“We’ve got to be strong with the basketball,” White said. “I’d rather us take a hard shot than turn the ball over, because that gives the opportunity to offensive rebound. It’s really frustrating for this to be the second game in a row we couldn’t close out when we had the opportunity.”
Louisiana will continue its five-game homestand next week with a rematch against ULM on Thursday, Jan. 8, followed by a matchup with Troy on Saturday, Jan. 10.
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