LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) Elfrid Payton scored 28 points, making a career-high 13 field goals on 14 attempts as Louisiana-Lafayette continued its home dominance of Louisiana-Monroe with a 66-50 win on Saturday night.
Louisiana-Lafayette (13-9, 4-5 Sun Belt Conference) closed the first half on a 12-1 run, erasing an eight-point deficit to take a 24-21 lead into halftime. The Ragin' Cajuns never trailed again, improving their home record against Louisiana-Monroe to 30-3 all-time.
Bryant Mbamalu added 14 points and Shawn Long had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Louisiana-Lafayette, which shot 50.9 percent from the field, committed only six turnovers and snapped a three-game losing streak.
Tylor Ongwae led Louisiana-Monroe (7-10, 4-5) with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Warhawks made 6 of 14 from beyond the arc but shot just 35.2 percent from the field.
