LAFAYETTE, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team suffered a 58-52 loss to the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Friday night in the Cajundome.
Southeastern (0-2) fell short in a six-point loss against the Ragin' Cajuns (1-1) in its second road game of the 2025-26 season. Louisiana claimed its largest 17-point scoring run in the second half as its early lead helped hold off the Lions down the stretch to secure the victory. Chicago State transfer Jalen Forrest posted 16 points and five rebounds to lead SLU on the road. Sophomore Jeremy Elyzee followed up with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists in the battle against the Ragin' Cajuns. Junior Jaiden Lawrence (eight points) led Southeastern on the glass with eight rebounds while CJ Booker (seven points) led the defensive front with three steals.
The Lions came out to a slow start in the opening minutes of the contest as the Ragin' Cajuns claimed an 11-point scoring run on their home court. Louisiana fired from all cylinders as Jaxon Olvera (20 points) led the charge for the hosts with a seven-point scoring run in four minutes early in the first half, 9-0. The sophomore led all scorers in double-figures, recording five rebounds and two assists. The Ragin' Cajuns gained all the momentum in the first half as SLU worked to weather the storm against its early deficit.
Lawrence and Booker chipped in the first two-points for Southeastern, but Louisiana remained unphased as it continued to pull away. Dorian Finister dropped all 12-points of points in the first half to produce an electric spark for the hosts, shooting 5-5 from the field and 2-2 from the three-point line to close out the half. Southeastern's defensive pressure intensified late in the first half to hold the Ragin' Cajuns scoreless for the last four minutes before the halftime break, but could not grasp the lead with missed opportunities at the charity stripe, 4-12. Louisiana ended the first half with a 14-point lead as the Lions worked to regroup before the halftime break, 34-20.
SLU came out aggressive in the opening of the second half, turning the hosts' defensive aggression against them with opportunities at the free throw line. Southeastern continued to battle with solid production from its bench to cut into its deficit as its reserves contributed 28 points in the matchup. Louisiana maintained its lead through the second half, but the Lions refused to back down as it brought the game within eight points under 10 minutes, 48-40.
Southeastern turned its intensity up a notch late in the second half as it capitalized on with chances at the free throw line. Jamyron Keller (13) stepped for Louisiana late in the game to cause problems for the Lions, but the visitors continued to work to bring the game within reach. SLU brought the contest within five points in the final 54 seconds of the second half, 55-50, but could not get over the hump to secure the win.
The Lions forced the Ragin' Cajuns into 12 turnovers while recording a 33-31 advantage in rebounds and 10-2 edge off second chance opportunities. Southeastern will visit Atlanta, Ga. to face Georgia Tech Monday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. Monday's game will be streamed on the ACC Network.
HARDWOOD CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the basketball program are encouraged to join the Hardwood Club. Lion alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letterwinners. All membership fees and donations to Hardwood Club are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern basketball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Basketball, follow @LionUpMBB and @DavidKieferSLU on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern is implementing mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
