Monster Night from Louisiana’s Charles Powers Cajuns to Win Over CCU

By: Tom Perpetua, Associate Director of Athletics Communications

LAFAYETTE, La. – It was the Joe Charles show on Saturday night as the Louisiana men's basketball (8-7, 1-2 SBC) team defeated Coastal Carolina (4-10, 1-2 SBC), 85-77. Charles put up a stat line for the ages, scoring 22 points with 14 rebounds, five blocks, four made threes, three assists, and three steals, becoming just the fourth player since 1996 with those numbers in a single game.

It was the seventh double-double of the year and fourth straight game with 13 or more rebounds for Charles. The junior was one point shy of matching his career-high in points.

Hosana Kitenge matched a career-high with 16 points against his former school and grabbed five rebounds. Kentrell Garnett added 13 points, knocking down three from deep, while Michael Thomas had 11 off the bench, one shy of matching his career-high.

It took nearly three minutes of game action for the Cajuns to get the offense going, but once Themus Fulks connected on a pair of free throws the team was on. Garnett hit a three to tie things at seven and Charles followed with a five-point spurt to put the Cajuns on top.

A three by Charles capped a 7-0 Louisiana run later in the half, putting the Cajuns ahead 19-11. Coastal responded with an 11-0 run to take the lead themselves and from there, the teams went back-and-forth.

Kitenge hit a pair of free throws to pull the Cajuns within a point before London Fields connected on a three-pointer to retake the lead. A pair of steals by Fulks led to baskets on the other end by him and Kobe Julien to go up by six. Both sides traded blows for the remainder of the first half and went into the locker rooms with the Cajuns up 40-36.

Louisiana came out of the half with a 5-0 run, including another three by Garnett, and pushed the lead to nine. The Chanticleers refused to go away and slowly chipped away at the Cajun lead. The visitors eventually took a 57-54 lead with 12:15 to play but Thomas responded with a three to even the score.

Tied at 62, Charles hit back-to-back threes and put the Cajuns ahead for good. The Chanticleers kept in the ballgame but down the stretch, the Cajuns made their free throws to hold onto the lead.

Louisiana starts a four-game road swing next Wednesday at Troy. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. before heading to Arkansas State on Saturday.

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