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• Published: Mar 10, 2010

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LAFAYETTE — Junior Andrew Loupe’s first career individual victory sparked the LSU men’s golf team to the team title at the 25th Louisiana Classics on Tuesday at Oakbourne Country Club.

LSU, which earned a two-shot victory over 13th-ranked Illinois in the two-day, 54-hole event, opened the final round in a three-way tie for first place.

The Tigers shot an even-par 864, including a 4-over 292 on Tuesday, to take their second tourney title of the season.

“I’m certainly pleased with the result,” said LSU coach Chuck Winstead. “Illinois is a great club and played well enough to win. Our guys just hung in there and battled until the very end to get the victory. I think playing in Lafayette gave us a big boost because there is a tremendous LSU following in this part of the state. We want to say ‘thank you’ to the fans that turned out to cheer on the guys this week.”

After opening with a 2-over 74 in the first round Monday, Loupe was dominant in the second and third rounds, firing back-to-back 5-under 67s to defeat Illinois’ Scott Langley by a single stroke with a total of 8-under par 208. Loupe’s total is a new career-low for 54 holes.

“Andrew had a heck of a week. He’s one of the best players in the country and has certainly been playing like it each time out, it seems,” Winstead said. “He may have thrown away some shots in the first round, but he hung in there and played lights out in each of the last two. That is the way we expected him to play and he really stepped it up for us again this week. He was tremendous.”

LSU’s Sang Yi earned his first top 10 finish of the season by tying for 10th place with a 54-hole score of 1-over 217, including a par-72 on Tuesday.

Softball

NICHOLLS GAME POSTPONED: The LSU softball team has postponed a game against Nicholls State scheduled for today because of weather concerns.

The game has been rescheduled for 6 p.m. March 23. Season ticket holders can use their original tickets for admission to the rescheduled game.

LSU (18-4) also moved up to No. 14 and No. 15 in the latest editions of the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 polls released Tuesday.

Gymnastics