Louisiana basketball coach Bob Marlin visits dying mother before Sun Belt Tournament game
Tim Buckley
Louisiana basketball made its way into the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship game.
It did so under trying circumstances for coach Bob Marlin, who worked Sunday night’s 66-57 semifinal win over Troy shortly after the death of his mother.
Lila Marlin, 87, died Sunday, a UL spokesman said.
“What a day,” Marlin said, his voice cracking. “It’s been a whirlwind of a day.”
Marlin left Pensacola, Florida, site of the tournament, Saturday and drove more than 300 miles to Tupelo, Mississippi, his hometown, to be with his mother.
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Marlin, in his 12th season at UL, then returned to Pensacola, where he led Pensacola Junior College to an NJCAA national championship in 1993, for the semifinal game.
“It’s just been really emotional, trying to get home,” said Marlin, a former assistant coach at Alabama, Marshall and Houston Baptist and a former head coach from 1998-2010 at Sam Houston State. “I think we got two hours sleep last night.
“We drove six hours to be with my mother. (Saturday) was my birthday also, so a lot of things going on. The team knew. A lot of people didn’t know. But we were able to get there to see her.”
Lila Marlin 'loved basketball'
Marlin said his mother, a lifelong member of Tupelo's Wesley United Methodist Church, was a four-year letter winner in high school.
“And she loved basketball,” he said. “She would have wanted me to be here (Sunday). And I can feel her strength. I can promise you that, and I think our guys do too.
“So, it’s been a hard day. I told the coaches (to) make sure they watch (the next semifinal game) because I’m going to get some rest.”
The No. 8 seed Ragin’ Cajuns (16-14) will play No. 3 seed Georgia State (17-10) in the championship game Monday (6 p.m. CT, ESPN) at Pensacola Bay Center. Georgia State beat No. 2 seed Appalachian State 71-66 in Sunday’s other semifinal.
Marlin was flanked as he spoke by guard Greg Williams Jr., who comforted his coach with a hand on his shoulder, and big man Theo Akwuba.
“We took it upon ourselves to take it to the next level this game, to do it not just for him, (but also for) his mother, for us, because we know we’re supposed to be here,” said Akwuba, who scored 15 points.
“We’re just a big family, so it’s important to come together and just protect each other and be here for everyone and just make it happen,” said Williams, a Lafayette Christian Academy product and a transfer from St. John’s who scored 16 points against Troy. “So I think it was over the course of the season where we just bonded together and stayed together and stayed the course.”
Cajuns overcome adversity
UL is headed to the Sun Belt championship game for the first time under Marlin since 2014, when it won the conference tournament and was led by current Phoenix Suns guard Elfrid Payton and former Philadelphia 76ers forward Shawn Long.
On Sunday, the Cajuns beat No. 4 seed Troy despite being without No. 2 scorer Kobe Julien.
He sustained injury a knee injury in UL’s 65-58 regular season-ending loss on Feb. 25 at Georgia State, which also beat the Cajuns 68-64 on Jan. 27 at the Cajundome in Lafayette.
UL also won Sunday despite foul trouble for season scoring leader Jordan Brown, who was limited to eight points one game after scoring 31 in Saturday's 79-72 quarterfinal win over No. 1 seed Texas State.
“We’re used to adversity. We’ve dealt with it all year. We’ve talked about it and tried to learn from it,” Marlin said. “It’s life. It’s all about life. Life’s lessons to teach these guys.”