Akron Zips defeat UL Ragin' Cajuns 75-61 in season opener
Despite a late second-half surge, Louisiana lost to the 29-win Akron squad behind Jamyron Keller's 26-point effort.
By Leila Reynolds ·
Louisiana fell to Akron 75-61 on Monday night in the Cajundome, closing out a season opener that exposed the gaps left by a roster overhaul. The Zips, who captured 29 victories during the previous campaign, held a commanding advantage over a team missing three contributors and fielding 11 new players.
The statistical disparity was evident throughout the contest. Akron shot 46 percent from the field, a rate that dwarfed the 28.6 percent mark for the Cajuns. The visitors also dominated the glass, securing 45 rebounds against 29 for the home side. Ty Pence led the Zips with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Evan Mahaffey contributed 16 points and 11 boards. Tahj Staveskie added 15 points, connecting on five of 16 attempts from beyond the arc.
Jamyron Keller, a redshirt junior and Preseason All-Sun Belt third team selection, carried the scoring load for Louisiana. He finished with a game-high 26 points, four assists, and two rebounds, shooting 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Dani Pounds, a forward from Tennessee Tech, posted 15 points, seven rebounds, and three steals in 30 minutes. Trent Middleton, who started at point guard, added 14 points, five rebounds, and two steals. Mekhi Cooper, playing through a hip flexor injury, recorded five points and three assists in 26 minutes off the bench.
Coach Quannas White acknowledged the difficulty of the matchup but pointed to the effort displayed by his young squad. "I really like this team," White said. "When you face adversity, it tells you a lot, man. We faced some adversity tonight, but our guys didn't give in." White noted that the team committed only seven turnovers while forcing 16 by Akron, a defensive metric he viewed positively despite the loss.
The game trajectory shifted dramatically in the second half. After a 15-1 run by Akron early in the second period gave them a 19-point lead, the Zips extended that advantage to 57-38 with 13:10 remaining. Louisiana then mounted a 19-7 run to cut the deficit to 64-57 with 6:52 left. Akron responded with a 7-0 sequence to end the comeback hopes. The Cajuns went scoreless for the final 3:20 of the game.
Keller expressed visible emotion after the final buzzer. "We've got to get it pulled off," he said. "We had it, I think we cut it to seven, in the second half. No matter how I'm feeling, we just have got to get it done." White observed Keller's body language in the locker room, noting that the frustration served as a motivator for the group.
Injury concerns lingered for the Cajuns. De'Vion Lavergne played 19 minutes before suffering an injury, scoring one point. Todd Jones and Deion Ware did not take the floor, with both players expected to return sometime in November. The team will look to build on their defensive rebounding and transition defense as they move forward.
