Toppers prepared for third game against ULL in SBC semifinals

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers forward George Fant (44) and Louisiana-Lafayette center J.J. Davenport (44) jump for a rebound during the last home game of the regular season against Louisiana-Lafayette in Bowling Green, Ky. on Thursday, March 06, 2014. (Jabin Botsford/HERALD)

Tyler Lashbrook

NEW ORLEANS — WKU will play No. 3 seed Louisiana-Lafayette in the semi-finals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Saturday at 4:30 p.m. 

The Toppers (20-11, 12-6 Sun Belt) swept the regular season series against the Ragin’ Cajuns, beating them by nine points on the road in January then defeating them by three points just over a month later in Diddle Arena on Senior Night.

ULL (21-11, 12-7) knocked out No. 6 seed UT-Arlington on Friday 91-85 in a quarterfinals matchup. Junior guard Elfrid Payton and sophomore forward Shawn Long, the team’s two leading scorers and two of the top three scorers in the Sun Belt, led the way with Payton netting eight points, six assists and five boards and Long adding 19 points and 17 rebounds. 

Despite the fact that the Toppers beat ULL both times the two teams played this season, junior forward George Fant said he’s expecting a close game on Saturday.

“It doesn’t matter if you beat a team once or twice, that team is going to give you their all in the last game,” Fant said.

The winner of WKU-ULL will go on to play the winner of Arkansas State-Georgia State on Sunday at noon. That game will be broadcasted on ESPN2.