LAFAYETTE, La. (Interstat) — De’Vion Lavergne scored 23 points and dished out seven assists to lead Louisiana-Lafayette to an 82-72 victory over Georgia State in a Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at the Cajundome.

The Ragin’ Cajuns, who led wire-to-wire, used a blistering first-half shooting performance to build an 18-point cushion and then withstood a persistent second-half push from the Panthers to snap a two-game skid. Louisiana-Lafayette improved to 6-16 overall, while Georgia State fell to 9-13.

The most critical phase of the game was the opening 20 minutes, where Louisiana-Lafayette established a commanding lead that Georgia State could never fully erase. The Ragin’ Cajuns shot a scorching 57.1% from the field in the first half, including 7 of 12 from three-point range, to take a 46-28 lead into the break. This efficient offensive display, which produced an offensive rating of 126.2 for the game, contrasted sharply with Georgia State’s cold start. The Panthers managed only 17 field goals on 55 attempts for the game, a 30.9% clip, and were just 5 of 22 from beyond the arc.

Lavergne, a 6-foot-3 guard from Melville, Louisiana, was the catalyst. He orchestrated the offense with precision, adding a block and committing just two turnovers in 36 minutes. His backcourt partner, Dorian Finister, added 18 points, and Karris Bilal chipped in 13. The Ragin’ Cajuns’ ball movement was sharp early, leading to high-percentage looks, and they capitalized by making 9 of 18 three-point attempts overall.

Georgia State’s offense ran almost exclusively through guard Malachi Brown, who poured in a game-high 25 points on 7-of-17 shooting. The Panthers, who entered the game as a slight 1.5-point favorite according to sportsbooks, clawed back in the second half by drawing fouls and converting at the free-throw line. They shot 33 of 35 from the stripe, with Brown going a perfect 8-for-8. Jelani Hamilton added 14 points and Jakai Newton scored 12 off the bench.

The Panthers whittled the deficit down to single digits multiple times in the second half, but each rally was met with a timely response from Louisiana-Lafayette. After a Brown three-pointer cut the lead to 71-69 with just over five minutes remaining, the Ragin’ Cajuns answered with six consecutive points. A Todd Jones dunk off a feed from Lavergne and two free throws from Finister pushed the lead back to 77-69, effectively sealing the game.

Georgia State’s comeback effort was hampered by its inability to string together stops and scores. While they outscored Louisiana-Lafayette 44-36 after halftime and forced 10 turnovers, they could not overcome the massive first-half deficit or match the home team’s shooting efficiency. The Panthers also struggled to generate assists, finishing with only seven on their 17 made baskets.

Louisiana-Lafayette dominated the interior, outscoring Georgia State 34-20 in the paint and blocking four shots. Jones, who started the game with a tip-in dunk on the opening possession, provided a physical presence inside with six points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

The game’s total of 154 points sailed over the sportsbook over/under line of 131, largely due to the prolific free-throw shooting from both sides, which combined to go 50-for-56. An announced crowd of 2,436 at the Cajundome saw the Ragin’ Cajuns earn their first win since Jan. 17.

Georgia State, which had won three of its last four games coming in, will look to rebound on the road at South Alabama on Saturday. Louisiana-Lafayette will host Georgia Southern the same day.