LAFAYETTE, La. — Despite a spirited comeback late in the first half, the Louisiana men's basketball team's offense went cold in the second half of an 83-61 defeat against Rice on Tuesday in the Cajundome.
Michael Thomas had a career-high 17 points to lead the team. The senior was 7-for-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from three-point range. Christian Wright added 13 points with five rebounds. Kyran Ratliff added a career-high nine points along with five boards.
The Cajun offense started slowly as the Owls, playing in the Cajundome for the first time since 2012, built a 17-6 lead just five-and-a-half minutes into the game. Louisiana got some momentum after a three by Thomas and a bucket by Koron Davis to make it a six-point ball game.
The Owls kept their lead at 11 when Thomas made a layup, had a steal on defense, and then hit a layup in transition to get the Cajuns back within seven. With five to play in the half, the Cajuns caught fire trailing again by 11. Thomas hit a three and after the sides traded baskets, Wright hit one from deep to keep the Cajuns within single digits.
Ratliff then had a steal and score before Chancellor White hit a three to make it 41-36. Ratliff would make the putback on a miss and Wright hit a layup on the team's final possession of the half to send the game into the locker room with the Cajuns trailing 41-40.
After the Owls opened the half with a basket, Kyndall Davis hit from deep to tie the score at 43. Rice answered with five straight before Wright hit a layup and a Ratliff three tied the game again. The teams traded buckets and were tied at 50 but Louisiana went cold from the field, not hitting a field goal for just over the next seven minutes of action.
Thomas ended a 15-1 Rice run with a jumper but the Cajuns would go another four minutes without another field goal and by then the Owls had pulled away.
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