Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
· SUN BELT CONFERENCE MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP - SEMIFINAL
<span class="badge bg-danger" style="font-size: 1.2em; margin: 5px 0;">Final</span>
73 - 72
73 - 72
Louisiana-Lafayette tops Western Kentucky in Sun Belt semis
Payton had a chance to put Louisiana up by three with 11 seconds left, but his runner was short. Western Kentucky's T.J. Price grabbed the rebound and went coast-to-coast but missed the game-winning layup at the buzzer.
Payton was 11 of 15 from the field, grabbed seven rebounds, had nine assists and four steals for Louisiana (22-11). Bryant Mbamalu also had 23 points.
George Fant and Price had 16 apiece for Western Kentucky (20-12).
WKU's press defense forced a turnover leading to Chris Harrison-Docks' third consecutive 3-pointer to give the Hilltoppers a 70-69 with 2:48 left. But WKU made just 2 of 6 free throws down the stretch.
Louisiana will play top-seeded Georgia State on Sunday in the championship.
How can I watch Louisiana vs. Western Kentucky?
Recent Plays
| 2nd 0:00 | End of Game | 73 - 72 |
| 2nd 0:01 | Elfrid Payton Defensive Rebound. | 73 - 72 |
| 2nd 0:01 | T.J. Price missed Layup. | 73 - 72 |
| 2nd 0:11 | T.J. Price Defensive Rebound. | 73 - 72 |
| 2nd 0:11 | Elfrid Payton missed Jumper. | 73 - 72 |
Statistics
 UL |
 WKU |
|
|---|---|---|
| 29-55 | FG | 25-47 |
| 53 | Field Goal % | 53 |
| 3-11 | 3PT | 7-15 |
| 27 | Three Point % | 47 |
| 12-20 | FT | 15-27 |
| 60 | Free Throw % | 56 |
| 33 | Rebounds | 27 |
| 13 | Offensive Rebounds | 8 |
| 20 | Defensive Rebounds | 19 |
| 14 | Assists | 12 |
| 11 | Steals | 6 |
| 3 | Blocks | 1 |
| 15 | Turnovers | 16 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 15 | Total Turnovers | 16 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 18 | Points Off Turnovers | 19 |
| 16 | Fast Break Points | 13 |
| 42 | Points in Paint | 30 |
| 24 | Fouls | 17 |
Game Information
Venue: Lakefront Arena
Location: New Orleans, LA
Capacity:
Location: New Orleans, LA
Capacity:
2025-26 Sun Belt Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troy | 12-6 | - | 22-12 |
| South Alabama | 11-7 | 1 | 21-12 |
| Arkansas State | 11-7 | 1 | 20-12 |
| Texas State | 11-7 | 1 | 19-13 |
| Marshall | 11-7 | 1 | 19-13 |
| Coastal Carolina | 11-7 | 1 | 19-13 |
| App State | 11-7 | 1 | 19-13 |
| James Madison | 9-9 | 3 | 18-15 |
| Southern Miss | 9-9 | 3 | 19-16 |
| Georgia Southern | 8-10 | 4 | 21-16 |
| Old Dominion | 7-11 | 5 | 12-21 |
| Louisiana | 7-11 | 5 | 11-22 |
| Georgia State | 7-11 | 5 | 10-22 |
| UL Monroe | 1-17 | 11 | 4-28 |
2025-26 Conference USA Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 17-3 | - | 26-8 |
| Sam Houston | 13-7 | 4 | 22-12 |
| Louisiana Tech | 11-9 | 2 | 20-14 |
| Western Kentucky | 11-9 | 6 | 18-14 |
| Middle Tennessee | 11-9 | 6 | 17-15 |
| Kennesaw State | 10-10 | 7 | 21-14 |
| Jacksonville State | 10-10 | 7 | 15-17 |
| New Mexico State | 8-12 | 9 | 16-16 |
| Missouri State | 8-12 | 9 | 16-18 |
| Florida International | 8-12 | 9 | 15-17 |
| UTEP | 7-13 | 8 | 11-20 |
| Delaware | 6-14 | 11 | 10-21 |