NEW ORLEANS – Rodrick Sikes sank a go-ahead free throw with 4.6 seconds remaining and Josh Ajayi scored 19 of his team-high 25 points in the second half as No. 8-seeded South Alabama stunned No. 5-seed Louisiana, 70-69, in the second round of the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Thursday at Lakefront Arena.
South Alabama (17-16), which snapped a five-game losing streak to Louisiana (19-13), advanced to face fourth-seeded Texas State in the quarterfinals on Friday at 5 p.m.
JaKeenan Gant, one of three seniors making in their final appearance in a Louisiana uniform, posted a double-double with a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds.