Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 31 | 73 | |
WKU | 37 | 35 | 72 |
Louisiana-Lafayette tops Western Kentucky in Sun Belt semis
NEW ORLEANS -- Elfrid Payton scored 23 points, including the go-ahead layup with 1:16 left, as third-seeded Louisiana-Lafayette beat No. 2 seed Western Kentucky 73-72 Saturday in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament.
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.
Game Information
New Orleans, LA
Referee:Tim Gattis
Referee:John Hampton
Referee:Gary Maxwell
2025-26 Standings
| Sun Belt Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Conference USA | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 17-3 | - | 26-8 |
| Sam Houston | 13-7 | 4 | 22-12 |
| Louisiana Tech | 11-9 | 6 | 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 | 10 | 11-20 |
| Delaware | 6-14 | 11 | 10-21 |
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