Central Michigan University Athletics
Saturday, February 7
Lafayette, La./Cajundome
4:00 PM ET/3:00 PM CT
Central Michigan University
7-17,3-8MAC
80
at
85
Louisiana
9-16,6-6Sun Belt
1
2
F
Central Mich.
42
38
80
Louisiana
38
47
85
Team Stats
CMU
LA
FG%
.571
.517
3FG%
.474
.500
FT%
.714
.842
RB
21
29
TO
9
11
STL
7
7
Game Leaders
Pts
21
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
1
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography
Louisiana Rallies Late, Wins MAC-SBC Challenge Contest Over Chippewas, 85-80
2/7/2026 7:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Louisiana outrebounds CMU 29-21; Tamario Adley scores game-high 21 points; Logan McIntire and Jaxson Whitaker both contribute 12 points apiece in second MAC-SBC Challenge game of the year.
LAFAYETTE, La.—Louisiana used a four-minute 13-1 run late in the second half to secure an 85-80 men's basketball win over Central Michigan Saturday evening at the Cajundome. The contest marked the two team's second MAC-SBC Challenge game of the 2025-26 season.
Louisiana claimed its fourth straight win. The Ragin' Cajuns had six players reach double figure scoring, including 19 from De'Vion Lavergne, 16 from Karris Bilal, and 15 from Todd Jones, Jr. Louisiana outrebounded Central Michigan 29-21, and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds to the Chippewas' five.
Central Michigan shot 57.7 percent (28-49) from the floor and 56.5 percent (9-19) from 3-point range. The Chippewas received a game-high 21-point performance from Tamario Adley (8-13 FG). It marked Adley's fourth 20-point scoring game of the season. Logan McIntire (3-8 3FG) and Jaxson Whitaker (4-5 3FG) both scored 12 points, Keenan Garner and Nathan Claerbaut both added eight points apiece.
"We need to make the plays when there are game-winning plays.
"Tonight, it was the rebounding," Central Michigan coach Andy Bronkema said. "They had 13 offensive rebounds and we had five. Rebounding, some of it is grit and awareness, there is a lot of want-to and heart. You flip that around and we win the game. When you get beat on the glass like that, that shoots up the other team's shooting percentage immensely. There were a few plays where they got three shots, you're going to make one of those three."
"Louisiana is playing really well. They're at home, they found a way. We find a way to be in these games, the next thing is to find a way to finish a couple of them."
Central Michigan led by as many as eight points in the second half, but host Louisiana hung around and chipped away at the lead.
Trailing 63-59 with 9:45 to play, Louisiana scored 13 of the next 14 points to take a 71-64 lead at the 5:42 mark. The Ragin' Cajuns scored seven straight points, including a 3-pointer by Finister and a four-point play by Lavergne to take a 66-63 lead. After CMU's Adley hit a free throw, Jones converted a 3-point play and Lavergne turned a turnover into a layup and seven-point lead.
A few minutes later, Louisiana would go up 82-73 with 1:52 to play on two Lavergne free throws.
The Chippewas cut the lead down to three points (83-80) with 12 seconds left, but Bilal converted two free throws with 10.8 seconds left.
"We had our chances to overcome everything, but those tough calls led to points and they were backbreakers," Bronkema said. "We took care of the ball tonight, but we had some costly turnovers and missed free throws there at the end. The numbers were there, the turnovers and the free throws at the end were costly. We didn't have enough resistance defensively. They also made some real tough shots.
"Our rotations were better tonight, our legs were fresher. We made some plays but not enough to win."
In the first half, the Chippewas hit 57.7 percent (15-26) of their shots and five 3-pointers in taking a four-point halftime lead.
Central Michigan held Louisiana scoreless for a 4:30 stretch and went on a 10-0 run in building a nine-point lead (42-33) with 1:28 to play in the first half. Whitaker started the run with a 3-pointer, Phat Phat Brooks followed with a fast break layup, Nick Mullen scored on a jumper off a Louisiana turnover, Garner scored a free throw off another turnover, then Brooks made it 42-33 with a layup.
Louisiana's Bilal hit a 3-pointer to end the run, then Jones' tip-in dunk made it 42-38 at halftime.
Seven MAC games remain for Central Michigan. The loss drops Central Michigan to 7-17 on the year, while Louisiana improves to 9-16 overall. The Chippewas drop to 4-2 in the MAC-SBC Challenge since the event began three years ago.
Next up, Central Michigan takes a week off before it hosts Northern Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 14 at McGuirk Arena (5 p.m.). The Chippewas will host a doubleheader that day with the CMU women's team, who takes on Western Michigan at 1 p.m.
Louisiana claimed its fourth straight win. The Ragin' Cajuns had six players reach double figure scoring, including 19 from De'Vion Lavergne, 16 from Karris Bilal, and 15 from Todd Jones, Jr. Louisiana outrebounded Central Michigan 29-21, and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds to the Chippewas' five.
Central Michigan shot 57.7 percent (28-49) from the floor and 56.5 percent (9-19) from 3-point range. The Chippewas received a game-high 21-point performance from Tamario Adley (8-13 FG). It marked Adley's fourth 20-point scoring game of the season. Logan McIntire (3-8 3FG) and Jaxson Whitaker (4-5 3FG) both scored 12 points, Keenan Garner and Nathan Claerbaut both added eight points apiece.
"We need to make the plays when there are game-winning plays.
"Tonight, it was the rebounding," Central Michigan coach Andy Bronkema said. "They had 13 offensive rebounds and we had five. Rebounding, some of it is grit and awareness, there is a lot of want-to and heart. You flip that around and we win the game. When you get beat on the glass like that, that shoots up the other team's shooting percentage immensely. There were a few plays where they got three shots, you're going to make one of those three."
"Louisiana is playing really well. They're at home, they found a way. We find a way to be in these games, the next thing is to find a way to finish a couple of them."
Central Michigan led by as many as eight points in the second half, but host Louisiana hung around and chipped away at the lead.
Trailing 63-59 with 9:45 to play, Louisiana scored 13 of the next 14 points to take a 71-64 lead at the 5:42 mark. The Ragin' Cajuns scored seven straight points, including a 3-pointer by Finister and a four-point play by Lavergne to take a 66-63 lead. After CMU's Adley hit a free throw, Jones converted a 3-point play and Lavergne turned a turnover into a layup and seven-point lead.
A few minutes later, Louisiana would go up 82-73 with 1:52 to play on two Lavergne free throws.
The Chippewas cut the lead down to three points (83-80) with 12 seconds left, but Bilal converted two free throws with 10.8 seconds left.
"We had our chances to overcome everything, but those tough calls led to points and they were backbreakers," Bronkema said. "We took care of the ball tonight, but we had some costly turnovers and missed free throws there at the end. The numbers were there, the turnovers and the free throws at the end were costly. We didn't have enough resistance defensively. They also made some real tough shots.
"Our rotations were better tonight, our legs were fresher. We made some plays but not enough to win."
In the first half, the Chippewas hit 57.7 percent (15-26) of their shots and five 3-pointers in taking a four-point halftime lead.
Central Michigan held Louisiana scoreless for a 4:30 stretch and went on a 10-0 run in building a nine-point lead (42-33) with 1:28 to play in the first half. Whitaker started the run with a 3-pointer, Phat Phat Brooks followed with a fast break layup, Nick Mullen scored on a jumper off a Louisiana turnover, Garner scored a free throw off another turnover, then Brooks made it 42-33 with a layup.
Louisiana's Bilal hit a 3-pointer to end the run, then Jones' tip-in dunk made it 42-38 at halftime.
Seven MAC games remain for Central Michigan. The loss drops Central Michigan to 7-17 on the year, while Louisiana improves to 9-16 overall. The Chippewas drop to 4-2 in the MAC-SBC Challenge since the event began three years ago.
Next up, Central Michigan takes a week off before it hosts Northern Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 14 at McGuirk Arena (5 p.m.). The Chippewas will host a doubleheader that day with the CMU women's team, who takes on Western Michigan at 1 p.m.
—CMU—
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