Cajuns lose season opener to Akron after late rally falls short
Louisiana's new roster struggled to match Akron's depth, dropping the game 75-61 despite a second-half surge.
By Nour Haddad ·
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns lost their season opener to the Akron Zips 75-61 on Monday night at the Cajundome. The home team started the game with three players missing and eleven newcomers on the roster. Akron, which won 29 games last season, proved too strong for the rebuilding Cajuns.
Head coach Quannas White noted that the team faced adversity early in the contest. The Zips built a large lead by exploiting transition opportunities against the unprepared Louisiana defense. Akron held leads of at least 19 points four times in the second half, including a 57-38 margin with 13 minutes and 10 seconds remaining.
The Cajuns mounted a late push to close the gap. They outscored Akron 19-7 in a span to reduce the deficit to 64-57 with six minutes and 52 seconds left. Akron responded with a 7-0 run that ended the comeback bid. Louisiana did not score in the final three minutes and 20 seconds of the game.
Jamyron Keller led all scorers with 26 points for the Cajuns. He shot 6-for-6 from the free-throw line and made four three-pointers. Tennessee Tech forward Dani Pounds added 15 points, seven rebounds, and three steals in his first appearance. Trent Middleton contributed 14 points and started at point guard while Mekhi Cooper played 26 minutes off the bench.
Akron shot 46% from the field compared to Louisiana's 28.6%. The Zips out-rebounded the Cajuns 45-29. Ty Pence led Akron with 19 points and eight rebounds. Evan Mahaffey added 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Tahj Staveskie scored 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting from three-point range.
Louisiana committed only seven turnovers while forcing 16 for Akron. However, the team struggled with shot selection and defensive communication in transition. De'Vion Lavergne scored one point in 19 minutes before leaving with an injury. Todd Jones and Deion Ware sat out and are expected to return sometime in November.
Keller expressed frustration with the loss in the locker room. He stated that the team has no excuses despite the new pieces and missing players. White said he liked the team's response to adversity and believes the loss will serve as motivation for the rest of the season.
