Dees went 6-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, while adding four rebounds and four assists. Elijah Millsap chipped in 16 points and eight rebounds. Randell Daigle added 14 points and five assists.
Thursday’s victory marked Louisiana’s (6-7, 3-0 Sun Belt) first 3-0 start in the Sun Belt since the 1999-2000 season – the year of Louisiana’s last outright conference crown.
Despite a strong return by Adrian Banks who came off the bench to score 20 points, the Indians could not survive a late surge in the second-half by the Ragin Cajuns.
Banks, a senior, returned to play after missing six games. Coming in for the first time at the 15:08 mark in the first half, he hit his first seven shots and showed no signs of rust from the layoff. He ended the night connecting on seven of 10 shots from the field. Teammate Ryan Wedel added 15 points and Yima Chia-Kur pumped in another 13 points and five rebounds to lead the Indians.
Both teams struggled early with neither scoring until UL’s Elijah Millsap hit a free throw two minutes into the game following a Kewain Gant foul. ASU then caught on fire behind the shooting by Banks, Wedel, and Chia-Kur who helped give the Tribe an 11-point first-half lead with 11:43 on the clock. Randell Daigle and Millsap then went to work and helped the Ragin’ Cajuns regain the lead, 36-32, at the half.
ASU would recapture a one-point 41-40 edge when Banks popped in a three-pointer at the 16:08 mark in the game’s final period. The score see-sawed until Millsap hit another trey with 5:20 left and David Dees added two consecutive three-pointers a couple of minutes later to put Louisiana on top for good.
Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns will conclude their three-game Sun Belt Conference homestand Saturday when they host in-state rival New Orleans at the CAJUNDOME. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m.
ARKANSAS STATE 63
Banks, Adrian 7-10 5-8 20; Wedel, Ryan 6-12 2-3 15; Chia-Kur, Yima 5-9 2-2
13; Morgan, Shawn 2-4 1-2 5; Gant, Kewain 2-5 0-0 4; Farmer, Ashton 0-2 2-2
2; Lance, Mike 1-1 0-0 2; Koggu, Ifeayni 1-4 0-0 2; Keaton, P.J. 0-0 0-0 0;
Nutt, Logan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-47 12-17 63.
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 73
Dees, David 6-7 2-2 17; Millsap, Elijah 4-11 7-9 16; Daigle, Randell 5-10
1-2 14; Bureau, Travis 3-8 0-0 8; Milson, Abray 3-3 0-0 6; Gary, La'Ryan 3-6
0-2 6; Wallace, Courtney 1-2 0-0 2; Lago, Willie 1-2 0-0 2; Gradnigo, Chris
1-10 0-0 2; Johnson, Tyren 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-59 10-15 73.
Halftime: UL 36, ASU 32. 3-point goals--Arkansas State 3-8 (Wedel, Ryan 1-4; Chia-Kur, Yima 1-2; Banks, Adrian 1-2), Louisiana-Lafayette 9-23 (Daigle, Randell 3-6; Dees, David 3-4; Bureau, Travis 2-7; Millsap, Elijah 1-2; Lago, Willie 0-1; Gradnigo, Chris 0-3). A-3871
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