The return of Freddy Hicks Jr. from injury was not enough to energize the Red Wolves past the Cajuns, who got 25 points and 7 boards for Louisiana big man Hosana Kitenge.

Caleb Fields had the hot hand early, knocking down 15 points in the first half and making himself busy at the free throw line. Fields would finish with 19 points and seven rebounds. But overall, Red Wolves shooting was tentative, and from a distance, ineffective, going only 2-11 at the three in the first half, finishing 5/23 (22%) . Meanwhile, Cajuns guard Michael paced Louisiana with two made threes and eight total points, while paint plug Kitenge dominated the inside with 10 points.

The Cajuns entered the locker room at half time with a 42-37 lead courtesy of a last second three-ball from Michael Thomas. The three seemed to sap the team’s enthusiasm as much as it did the crowd’s.

“We got out butt kicked in every category,” said Coach Bryan Hodgson. “We didn’t do anything well today. Complete lack of energy, and that’s on me.”

Cajuns inside presence was too strong. Too much Joe Charles. Too much Kitenge! And way too many turnover. Midway through the second half, with the Red Wolves down 54-46, A-State had 13 turnovers to the Cajuns 3, who used the opportunity to score a dozen. By the end of the game, the turnover differential was a crushing 5/16, with the Cajuns converting 18 off the snafus. Louisiana would get 46 points in the paint, and SBC leading scorer Kobe Jenkins dropped 20.

“They do a good job defending the three point shot,” conceded Avery Felts, who finished with five points and one three.

In the end, the Red Wolves simply didn’t have an answer for the Cajuns’ physicality on their conference-leading three-point defense. A-State led for zero minutes.

“We got punked out. I won sugar coat it. I wish there was a nice way to put it.” summed Coach Hodgson.

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