Micahel Southall comes up HUGE in the last 2-3 minutes to help the CAJUNS beat South Alabama 67-60 and go 15-6, 7-1 in the Conference.
WAY TO GEAUX CAJUNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cool:
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Micahel Southall comes up HUGE in the last 2-3 minutes to help the CAJUNS beat South Alabama 67-60 and go 15-6, 7-1 in the Conference.
WAY TO GEAUX CAJUNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cool:
what a defensive effort by the entire cajun team!!!!!!
<blockquote><p align=justify>Advertiser-Bruce Brown
<b>Cajuns hold off Privateers to run streak to 19</b>
LAFAYETTE — This streaking business is getting harder all the time, but it’s worth the effort.
Louisiana needed overtime to hold off the New Orleans Privateers 79-75 Saturday night before a season-high 8,121 fans at the Cajundome, running its homecourt victory streak to 19 in a row.
Brad Boyd didn’t score until 10:05 remained in regulation, but he finished with 15 including a clinching 5-of-6 free throws at the end of the extra period as the Ragin’ Cajuns improved to 16-6 overall and 8-1 in the Sun Belt Conference.
Sophomore center Michael Southall was a tower of power in the win, playing just short of the full 45 minutes and finishing with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
New Orleans (12-10, 5-6) was led by 2002 Sun Belt Player of the Year Hector Romero, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds but failed to score in overtime.
“The crowd was excellent,” Cajun coach Jessie Evans said. “We fed off of them a lot in the second half, and they played a huge part in this win.
“We weren’t quite sure they were getting their money’s worth, so we played an extra five minutes.”
<center><p><a href="http://www.theadvertiser.com/sports/html/0AE30579-FA88-4B1C-A05E-E8BC49273FA2.shtml">The rest of the story</a><!--
Southall appeared to clinch it for the Cajuns at the end of regulation, blocking a Romero shot and appearing to seal a 65-63 triumph. But his rejection was ruled goaltending and the two teams headed for supplemental action.
“I’m really impressed with Lafayette, always have been,” UNO coach Monte Towe said. “We came in here and played nose-to-nose against what I consider the best team in the conference, and maybe that will give us confidence for the Sun Belt Tournament.”
Towe said the clear difference was Southall.
“I think Southall is a wonderful player,” Towe said. “He’s a factor all over the floor, defensively and offensively. He’s also a wonderful passer. And, he likes to win.”
Southall’s desire to win was evidenced by his play in overtime. After getting his blocked shot disallowed to prompt OT, Southall scored 7 of the Cajuns’ first 9 points in the frame and dished off to freshman Cedric Williams for the other bucket.
“I was really upset that we had to go to overtime,” Southall said. “My teammates kept telling me over and over that they (the Privateers) can’t stop me, and they kept getting me the ball.”
There were plenty of nervous moments for the Cajuns. The Privateers broke a 29-all tie and mounted a 36-29 advantage at halftime. Then, midway through the second half, a 3-point bomb by Kyle Buggs put UNO ahead by 9 at 52-43.
That’s when Boyd finally came alive with a 3-pointer of his own, serving as the flashpoint for a 14-1 Cajun surge that put them ahead 57-53. Boyd’s trey off a Southall screen tied the game at 53, Southall got a tip-in and then a Southall steal led to an Immanuel Washington layup.
Three-pointers by Romero and A.J. Meredith produced a 59-57 UNO lead, but a breakaway drive by Laurie Bridges, coming after Williams forced Romero into a costly turnover, put the Cajuns ahead by 63-59.
A tap-in and 12-footer in the lane by Buggs then knotted it again. Southall slipped the ball to Williams for a 65-63 edge, before the call at the end of regulation.
“At the half,” Anthony Johnson said, “they had the lead and we were playing their game. Once we started playing our game, we picked up the tempo on defense and started running the floor. Then they fell into our hands.”
“Worried?” Southall said. “Worried, no. Concerned, yes. You’ve got to get a little nervous edge to you.”
“We tried to slow the game up a little bit,” Towe said. “I’d like to run more, but we have trouble in transition (UNO finished with 19 turnovers). The game went pretty much the way I wanted it to, until they hit that spurt in the second half.
“I think Southall was the difference, that and our turnovers. Their defense was good. They’re athletic. Part of our turnover problem was probably their defense.”
The Cajuns’ ability to come at the Privateers in waves eventually spelled the difference.
“Nineteen in a row is a lot,” Johnson said. “When we got down by 9, that was a wake-up call for us. You still have to go out and play hard. Ain’t no game given to you.”
Never was that more true than Saturday night.
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<blockquote><p align=justify>A chance to witness <b>19 straight wins</b> at home will get you 8,121 fans at the Cajundome.
This is an all-time top-10 attendance figure at the Stump. In fact it ranks at #10.
It is however only the 4th highest attendance vs. UNO.
Does anyone one know our record against UNO in those well-attended games?
Louisiana is now 9-11 all-time vs. UNO at the CajunDome.
<center><img src="https://forumeus.com/images/avatars/avatar096.gif">
http://theadvertiser.com/newsweaveri...64C6F9B1FD.jpg
--John Rowland/The Lafayette Daily Advertiser
UL Lafayette’s Michael Southall, left, battles Nerijus Lisauskus of New Orleans for a loose ball during Saturday’s win.
Working overtime
Cajuns hold off Privateers to run streak to 19.
Bruce Brown
February 9, 2003
LAFAYETTE — This streaking business is getting harder all the time, but it’s worth the effort.
UL Lafayette needed overtime to hold off the New Orleans Privateers 79-75 Saturday night before a season-high 8,121 fans at the Cajundome, running its homecourt victory streak to 19 in a row.
Brad Boyd didn’t score until 10:05 remained in regulation, but he finished with 15 including a clinching 5-of-6 free throws at the end of the extra period as the Ragin’ Cajuns improved to 16-6 overall and 8-1 in the Sun Belt Conference.
Sophomore center Michael Southall was a tower of power in the win, playing just short of the full 45 minutes and finishing with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
New Orleans (12-10, 5-6) was led by 2002 Sun Belt Player of the Year Hector Romero, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds but failed to score in overtime.
“The crowd was excellent,” Cajun coach Jessie Evans said. “We fed off of them a lot in the second half, and they played a huge part in this win.
“We weren’t quite sure they were getting their money’s worth, so we played an extra five minutes.”
Southall appeared to clinch it for the Cajuns at the end of regulation, blocking a Romero shot and appearing to seal a 65-63 triumph. But his rejection was ruled goaltending and the two teams headed for supplemental action.
“I’m really impressed with Lafayette, always have been,” UNO coach Monte Towe said. “We came in here and played nose-to-nose against what I consider the best team in the conference, and maybe that will give us confidence for the Sun Belt Tournament.”
Towe said the clear difference was Southall.
“I think Southall is a wonderful player,” Towe said. “He’s a factor all over the floor, defensively and offensively. He’s also a wonderful passer. And, he likes to win.”
Southall’s desire to win was evidenced by his play in overtime. After getting his blocked shot disallowed to prompt OT, Southall scored 7 of the Cajuns’ first 9 points in the frame and dished off to freshman Cedric Williams for the other bucket.
“I was really upset that we had to go to overtime,” Southall said. “My teammates kept telling me over and over that they (the Privateers) can’t stop me, and they kept getting me the ball.”
There were plenty of nervous moments for the Cajuns. The Privateers broke a 29-all tie and mounted a 36-29 advantage at halftime. Then, midway through the second half, a 3-point bomb by Kyle Buggs put UNO ahead by 9 at 52-43.
That’s when Boyd finally came alive with a 3-pointer of his own, serving as the flashpoint for a 14-1 Cajun surge that put them ahead 57-53. Boyd’s trey off a Southall screen tied the game at 53, Southall got a tip-in and then a Southall steal led to an Immanuel Washington layup.
Three-pointers by Romero and A.J. Meredith produced a 59-57 UNO lead, but a breakaway drive by Laurie Bridges, coming after Williams forced Romero into a costly turnover, put the Cajuns ahead by 63-59.
A tap-in and 12-footer in the lane by Buggs then knotted it again. Southall slipped the ball to Williams for a 65-63 edge, before the call at the end of regulation.
“At the half,” Anthony Johnson said, “they had the lead and we were playing their game. Once we started playing our game, we picked up the tempo on defense and started running the floor. Then they fell into our hands.”
“Worried?” Southall said. “Worried, no. Concerned, yes. You’ve got to get a little nervous edge to you.”
“We tried to slow the game up a little bit,” Towe said. “I’d like to run more, but we have trouble in transition (UNO finished with 19 turnovers). The game went pretty much the way I wanted it to, until they hit that spurt in the second half.
“I think Southall was the difference, that and our turnovers. Their defense was good. They’re athletic. Part of our turnover problem was probably their defense.”
The Cajuns’ ability to come at the Privateers in waves eventually spelled the difference.
“Nineteen in a row is a lot,” Johnson said. “When we got down by 9, that was a wake-up call for us. You still have to go out and play hard. Ain’t no game given to you.”
Never was that more true than Saturday night.
Ragin' Cajuns drop Privateers in overtime
Southhall gets job done late for UL
By Marty Mulé
LAFAYETTE -- Chained by a collapsing UNO defense for most the night, Louisiana center Michael Southall broke free when it counted most: with the game on the line.
Southall scored seven points in overtime as UL overcame a determined Privateers effort to pull out a 79-75 victory Saturday night at the Cajundome.
The Ragin' Cajuns (16-6, 8-1 Sun Belt) have won 19 consecutive home games and sent UNO to its third straight defeat -- and second overtime loss in a week. The Privateers (12-11, 5-6) are 0-9 on the road.
Southall had three points and two rebounds in the first half, and nine points at the end of regulation. But he scored the first seven of ULL's 14 points in overtime.
"My teammates expect me to be a leader," said Southall, a 6-foot-11 sophomore. "It's my job to step up. At the half they told me they'd get me the ball more, and for me to be more aggressive."
It took longer than the usual 20 minutes, but UNO coach Monte Towe admitted, "Late in the game, we had no answer for Southall."
UNO's Nerijus Lisauskas, Victor Brown and Tommy Biggoms, all with help, took turns defending Southall, generally with success. The Privateers out-rebounded the Cajuns 33-25; Southall grabbed only five.
"Our kids put their hearts out on the floor tonight," Towe said. But he made note of his team's 19 turnovers.
"Our margin for error is not very much. We gave them too many opportunities at critical times."
Four Privateers scored in double-figures. Hector Romero scored 20, Kyle Buggs 17, Johnell Smith 12 and Lisauskas 10. UL also had four: Southall, Brad Boyd at 15, Anthony Johnson at 13 and Laurie Bridges at 11.
The first half belonged to UNO, thanks to perimeter shooting and the Privateers' defense against Southall. UNO collapsed as many as three men -- mostly with Lisauskas and, briefly, Biggoms -- on Southall.
UNO led most of the first half, scoring the first four points on free throws by Lisauskas and Romero, then holding the Cajuns at bay until halftime. ULL's main weapon in the first half was Johnson, who hit three 3-pointers in five attempts, keeping the Cajuns from falling dangerously behind.
UL led at 18-17 and 20-19, but the Privateers answered each time. Lisauskas made a reverse layup for a 19-18 lead, and two pull-up jumpers by Johnell Smith put UNO back in front 23-20. A rash of Cajuns turnovers in the last couple of minutes staked the Privateers to a 36-29 lead at the half.
UNO opened a 10-point lead at 43-33 in the second half before the Cajuns charged back behind the outside shooting of Boyd -- UL's leading scorer, who didn't get his first basket until less than 10 minutes left to play.
The game was UL's first overtime contest since Feb. 24, 2001, when the Cajuns beat UNO 86-75 at Lakefront Arena. The last in Lafayette was Nov. 1997, when the Cajuns beat Virginia Commonwealth 77-71 -- in Coach Jessie Evans' first game.
Evans said this was the kind of game that stirs the blood. "It's like a duck on the pond," he said of his feelings during the back-and-forth finish. "Calm on the surface, but paddling like hell underneath."
No discussion about this game? Am I the only one that thinks that this was one of the biggest wins in the history of Cajun basketball? Now I know we didnt beat a spectacular team, but when was the last time 8,000 people showed up to the dome? When was the last time there was a true electric atmosphere there? I dont remember ever going to a game like this one, that's for sure.
Championship teams find a way to get it done!
Go Cajuns!
Darn it CAJUNREBEL you and coach are hard to please. I mean the team, and coach kept coaxing the crowd to get more into the game, recruiting basH, USA game, and baseball series. I barley have enough engergy to read much less post.Quote:
Originally posted by CajunRebel
No discussion about this game? Am I the only one that thinks that this was one of the biggest wins in the history of Cajun basketball? Now I know we didnt beat a spectacular team, but when was the last time 8,000 people showed up to the dome? When was the last time there was a true electric atmosphere there? I dont remember ever going to a game like this one, that's for sure.
Championship teams find a way to get it done!
Go Cajuns!
EXCEPT for that little fault today in baseball it was a great week to be a cajun fan.
I agree the three previous games against UNO where the attendance was in the top 10, were games the Cajuns came away from with a loss.Quote:
Originally posted by CajunRebel
No discussion about this game? Am I the only one that thinks that this was one of the biggest wins in the history of Cajun basketball? Now I know we didnt beat a spectacular team, but when was the last time 8,000 people showed up to the dome?
This win was HUGE, a big win with fans in attendance.
Last Year's regular season finale against NMSU!Quote:
Originally posted by CajunRebel
When was the last time there was a true electric atmosphere there?
That was electric.