Jaxon Olvera’s Career-High 29 Points Sends Louisiana Past Georgia State in SBC Tournament

PENSACOLA, Fla. (103.3 The GOAT) — Jaxon Olvera helped carry the Cajuns all season. On Tuesday night, he carried them into the next round.

The junior guard from Houston poured in a career-high 29 points, and Louisiana used a decisive 13-0 second-half run to pull away from Georgia State 84-75 in the opening round of the Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Pensacola Bay Center.

The win moves the No. 12-seeded Cajuns (11-21) into Wednesday’s second round against No. 9 seed James Madison at 5 p.m.

Olvera Puts Together Historic Night

Olvera eclipsed his previous season high of 23 points set Feb. 16 at Old Dominion and topped his career best of 27 points set against Gonzaga while at Pepperdine. He shot 9-of-16 from the field, went 2-for-2 from three-point range and converted 9-of-11 free throws. Nineteen of his 29 points came in the second half when it mattered most.

He also grabbed nine rebounds and closed the game in emphatic fashion, throwing down a fast-break dunk with no time remaining to put the final score on the board.

Three other Cajuns reached double figures. Dorian Finister, returning after missing two games with a concussion, chipped in 13 points. De’Vion Lavergne added 12, and redshirt freshman Karris Bilal contributed 10.

A Slow Start, Then a Statement Run

Louisiana stumbled out of the gate. Georgia State built a 24-17 lead midway through the first half before the Cajuns responded with their own 13-0 burst to go up 30-24. The Panthers regrouped, though, closing the half on a 14-6 run to carry a 38-36 edge into the locker room.

The second half opened with Georgia State pushing the lead to five on a three-point play from Malachi Brown. That’s when Olvera and the Cajuns flipped the switch.

Louisiana’s answering 13-0 run, fueled by six points from Olvera and four from Kyran Ratliff off the bench, turned a five-point hole into an eight-point lead in a matter of minutes. Georgia State never got closer than six the rest of the way.

Milan Mejia hit a three-pointer midway through the second half to push the lead to 61-49, and Olvera’s triple with under five minutes left stretched it to 70-57, Louisiana’s largest cushion until the final buzzer.

Rebounding Edge Made the Difference

The Cajuns dominated the boards in ways that don’t show up prominently in box scores but win basketball games. Louisiana out-rebounded Georgia State 40-30 and matched its season high with 18 offensive rebounds, which translated into a 20-8 advantage in second-chance points.

Todd Jones Jr. hauled down eight rebounds, six on the offensive end. Olvera led all players with nine boards.

Louisiana shot 48% in the second half and made 18-of-23 free throws after intermission, winning the free throw battle 26-18 for the game. The Cajuns also forced nine of Georgia State’s 14 turnovers in the second half while protecting the ball well, finishing with only nine giveaways on the night.

Jelani Hamilton paced Georgia State (10-22) with 20 points but managed just four in the second half. Micah Tucker added 18. Brown and Joah Chappelle scored 14 and 13, respectively.

What’s Next: A Familiar Opponent

The Cajuns and James Madison have already played once this season. Louisiana won that matchup Feb. 4 in Harrisonburg, Virginia, when Finister buried a three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to steal the win.

Wednesday’s rematch tips off at 5 p.m. on ESPN+ from Pensacola. The SBC Championship Tournament runs through Monday, March 9, with the title game set for 6 p.m. on ESPN2.