Ragin’ Cajuns lose a close game at home against Southern Miss.

As the weather continues its slow rise back into the mild temperatures of a regular Louisiana winter, the Ragin’ Cajuns welcome in the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in their first meeting of the season. 

In an initiative to invite more students to the game, the Louisiana men’s basketball team made a post on their Instagram. The post offered the first 100 students that arrived a free Box Combo from Canes.

Now I personally am not the biggest fan of Raising Canes, but what an amazing idea by the basketball team. What other way to distract the fans from constant sorrow and misery than a Box Combo and some creamy, delicious coleslaw? 

It actually turned out to be a success considering the respectable amount of students that showed up. The combination of the student section and that musically loud Louisiana basketball band will remain tough on visiting teams.

It was the Golden Eagles’ turn to face that challenge in the Cajundome. They came into the night 8-11, riding a two-game losing streak. This was the third stop of their four-game road trip.

The Ragin Cajuns looked to bounce back after dropping a home game on Thursday against the Texas State Bobcats.

Early on it was forward Mostapha El Moutaouakkil with six points in the first five minutes. He was aggressive, attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line. 

The Cajuns got up as much as seven points in the first half behind El Moutaouakkil’s 12 points. It was a close game throughout, neither team grasping a double-digit lead.

When the second half came along, issues started to become more apparent for Louisiana. While they had a phenomenal defense, holding the Golden Eagles to 45% shooting, there was a lid on the basket offensively. There’s simply a lack of three-point shooting and shot creation. 

There’s only so much you can do on defense when you’re shooting 34.8% from the field and 20.8% from deep on the other end. Similar to the first half, it was El Moutaouakkil’s efforts offensively that kept the Cajuns in the game. 

Any time Louisiana needed a bucket to prevent the Golden Eagles from going on a run, it was he who kept the ship afloat. He wasn’t getting any help offensively aside from the occasional Kentrell Garnett three.

The game started to pull away from the Cajuns late in the second half. Like I said, defense was not the issue as they tallied seven steals and five blocks. However, it was only a matter of time when their offensive woes would get the better of them.

The Golden Eagles just kept grinding away, becoming the more efficient team from inside the arc. After being tied 53-53 with 5:29 remaining, they would go on a 14-4 run to seal the game.

El Moutaouakkil is an extremely talented player, but his old-school game has its limits. Being such an interior presence, he needs guys around him who are at least willing to shoot. 

We can’t have Garnett being the only guy to hit multiple three-pointers. The inability to space the floor and make defenses pay for poor closeouts is killing us.

Our team is stacked with drive-first guards that love to attack the basket, however, it didn’t translate well this game. The Cajuns finished just 43% on all two-pointers and only attempted ten free throws. 

Maybe it was a zebra thing, considering the Golden Eagles attempted almost double. I’m not one for speculation, but that would be the easiest scapegoat to pair with this loss. 

Although this season hasn’t been the best for anybody in the vermilion and white, there are two things that you cannot question about this squad: energy and effort. 

I was at the game almost an hour before tip-off. Sure, maybe a little early but that’s what it takes to be one of the first 100 students in the arena. 

Anyways, just watching this team warm up and shoot around, you would think they were undefeated. Everyone’s smiling and laughing but clearly dialed in. 

Every night they give 100% effort on both ends of the floor whether it’s the undersized Michael Thomas soaring through the air from the weak side to block a dunk, or guys just playing through the whistle even when there isn’t one. 

So, as I type this story, Box Combo on my right, a box of tissues on my left, I have no doubt that in the next game, the Cajuns are going to show up and give it their best.

The Cajuns will travel west to San Marco, Texas for another battle against the Texas State Bobcats on Thursday, Jan. 30. They’ll be looking for revenge as the Cajuns lost at home against this squad.