Cajuns invade rival UNO for key twinbill
<blockquote><p align=justify>NEW ORLEANS — For one UL Lafayette basketball team, today’s contest against New Orleans could be for a share of a Sun Belt Conference title.
For the other, it could mean survival.
Both the Ragin’ Cajun men and women take on their Privateer counterparts today in televised contests at UNO’s Lakefront Arena, with the women’s squad playing at 3:35 p.m. and the men following at 6:05 p.m.
The women’s game airs live over the ESPN FullCourt package and over COX Sports (cable channel 27 in Lafayette). The men’s game is also live to ESPN FullCourt subscribers, but will be tape-delayed at 11 p.m. over COX Sports.
The Cajun men (14-5, 9-1) carry an eight-game win streak into their second meeting of the year with the Privateers (12-11, 6-4), who stand tied for second place behind UL Lafayette in the Sun Belt’s West Division. A UNO win would pull the Privateers within two games of the lead with four games to play.
However, a Cajun win, coupled with a Western Kentucky home victory over North Texas (also 6-4), would lock up no worse than a share of the West crown by the end of Valentine’s Day — with more than two weeks left in the regular season.
“Our guys have stepped up,” said Cajun head coach Jessie Evans. “They’ve answered every challenge, and teams have played hard against them. South Alabama played very hard, so give them a lot of credit.”
USA played the Cajuns closer Thursday night than any team has in almost a month, with UL Lafayette winning 79-73 in Mobile after trailing by nine points with 6:54 left. Orien Greene hit four three-pointers in the final seven minutes including three in a row to spark the comeback and give the Cajuns their fifth straight Sun Belt road win.
The Cajun squad hit 11 three-pointers and forced 23 UNO turnovers in an 85-64 Cajundome win on Jan. 17, a victory that began the current eight-game win streak that is the second-longest ever under Evans.
That game also marked Greene’s first appearance in a UL Lafayette uniform, a 28-minute effort in which he had seven points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Since then, he’s scored in double figures in five of six games including his career-high 28 on Thursday at USA.
“It’s good to come on the road and win,” said Greene, who hit 11-of-15 shots and also had four assists and four steals. “We still haven’t played a complete game on the road yet.”
The Privateers have apparently righted their ship thanks to a homecourt boost, and did it in widely-varying style. UNO, which plays six of its last seven league games at Lakefront Arena, topped Arkansas-Little Rock 100-95 in two overtimes last Saturday, and then put on the defensive clamps in a 51-37 win over New Mexico State Thursday night.
The 37 points allowed is the lowest given up by a UNO club in six seasons.
“That was one of the best defensive efforts a team of mine has ever had,” said UNO coach Monte Towe after the visiting Aggies shot less than 28 percent from the floor and returning Sun Belt Player of the Year James Moore had only 10 points. “Victor Brown did a good job on defense against Moore. We were trapping down on him with the big guys and our weak side did a great job getting in front of people that were open.”
<b>Lady Cajuns vs. UNO </b>
The Cajun women are still looking for their first Sun Belt road win, and that’s important since Louisiana (11-10, 5-5) plays four of its last five league games away from home beginning today against the Privateers (9-13, 4-6).
“We haven’t shot the ball consistently,” said Lady Cajun coach J. Kelley Hall, “and on Thursday it wasn’t just from the perimeter. We didn’t shoot it well inside, outside, anywhere.”
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The Cajuns dropped a 52-49 Thursday decision to West Division leader South Alabama in Mobile, mostly due to a 28.6 percent shooting effort. That’s a far cry from the 51 percent shooting that UL Lafayette managed in its 68-49 romp over the Privateers back on Jan. 17 in the Cajundome.
UNO goes into today’s game riding a two-game win streak, including a pulsating 76-73 double-overtime road victory at New Mexico State Thursday.
The postseason future of both teams could ride on today’s outcome. The Cajuns need to win a minimum of two of their last five league games and may need three wins to insure a berth in the Sun Belt Tournament. The Privateers would have to run the table to get into the tournament with a loss today.
Junior center Anna Petrakova had 23 points and 10 rebounds in the earlier win over UNO. She still leads the Sun Belt in scoring (18.9) and rebounding (10.1) overall, but collapsing defenses have slightly lowered her league-game averages to 18.6 and 8.6 respectively.
“She’s getting banged around and not getting a lot of calls,” Hall said, “but we can take care of that by making a few more shots.”
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LAdy Cajuns finish strong aginst UNO
<blockquote><p align=justify><b>Louisiana records key road victory to stay alive in Sun Belt West race.</b>
NEW ORLEANS — Twice this season, the LAdy Cajuns of Louisina have endured disappointing three-point losses to South Alabama, and both times they have responded with double-digit victories over New Orleans.
The Cajuns came back from a 23-21 halftime deficit for Saturday’s 61-51 win at Lakefront Arena, improving to 12-10 on the season and 6-5 in the Sun Belt Conference’s Western Division.
“I think that proves that, even if we go down, we’re going to come back up,” said junior post Anna Petrakova, whose 25 points and seven rebounds led the way. “We’re not giving up.
“The loss to South Alabama really hurt our feelings. UNO just happens to be the team we got back on.”
UL’s earlier 57-54 home loss to USA was followed two nights later by a 68-49 rout of UNO, and USA rallied in the second half to beat the Cajuns 52-49 last Thursday in Mobile.
“The kids realize they can play well on the road,” coach J. Kelley Hall said. “We did lead South Alabama for 39 minutes, and I think that gave the team a lot of confidence.”
The Cajuns quickly reversed Saturday’s halftime deficit with six straight points after intermission, before the Privateers (8-14, 4-7) put together a surge of their own and led 31-29 on two Monique Taylor free throws with 16:48 to play.
Petrakova then responded with a drive and a free throw to put her team ahead to stay at 32-31.
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“At halftime, we talked about out-rebounding them, don’t give them the boards,” Petrakova said. “We wanted to take away their inside game. That’s what hurt us in the first half.”
“There was a sense of urgency on our part,” Hall said, “and in the second half the kids really stepped it up. We wanted to get the ball inside, stop the dribble-penetration and make them shoot the ‘three.’”
The Privateers finished 1-of-12 from behind the arc, making their only trey with 11 seconds left for the final points of the night.
Tiffany Washington (10 points, 11 rebounds) and Sharee Glenn (10 points, 6 rebounds) supported Petrakova, while Taylor had 16 points and Joevone Markey 12 for New Orleans.
The Cajuns overcame horrific 8-of-33 shooting in the first half, as well as 20 turnovers, for the season sweep of UNO.
Just as importantly, they maintained their poise and retained their preferred style of play when UNO tried to pick up the pace.
“They are a really fast team,” Petrakova said. “I’ll give them that. We had to remember to not give in to their tempo. We had to slow it down, and not be crazy with the ball.”
That’s especially crucial on the road in conference play, when the home team will try to set the tone.
“They controlled the tempo the entire game,” UNO coach Joey Favaloro said. “We never had control of it.”
“They tried to speed the game up,” Hall said. “But that’s not the way we play.”
Four Cajuns played the full 40 minutes and Hall played just six players, so remaining poised was critical.
The victory was a major boost for the Cajuns in the tightly-bunched Western Division.
“Their backs have been to the wall three times, and they came through twice,” Hall said of the Privateers. “This gives them their seventh (SBC) loss, and that’s a number you don’t want to have.”
“This was a must win tonight, in order for us to keep our standing,” Petrakova said.
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LAdy Cajuns notch key win
<blockquote><p align=justify><b>Louisiana closes in on tournament berth</b>
LOUISIANA La. — UL rocked New Mexico State back on its heels with a barrage of first-half 3-point baskets on Thursday, then shut the door down the stretch with defense for a 67-51 victory before 355 fans at Earl K. Long Gym.
The emphatic triumph improved the LAdy Cajuns to 13-11 on the year and 7-5 in Sun Belt Conference play, a major step in reaching the March 6-9 Sun Belt Tournament in Bowling Green.
“I feel like we’re in the tournament,” UL coach J. Kelley Hall said. “One more, for sure, and that would be huge because that would give us a winning season.
“These young ladies deserve to have something like that happen to them.”
As it is, the Cajuns have won more games this year than any LAdy Cajun squad in the last 16 years.
It was the final home game of the season for the Cajuns, and seniors Sharee Glenn and Tiffany Washington capitalized on the spotlight.
Glenn had 14 of her 19 points by halftime, triggering a 39-23 lead at the break, and was part of suffocating defense on NMSU star Sinnamonn Garrett.
Washington scored 17 points and cleared 9 rebounds in tandem with Anna Petrakova (19, 12) on the front line.
“I always put so much pressure on myself to do good,” Glenn said. “Tonight I just wanted to play and have fun.”
“Sharee really went out in style,” Hall said. “I just can’t say enough about her and what she’s meant to our program. I’m so proud for her to go out the way she did.
“And Tiffany ... she’s always there. They’ve always out-rebounded us, but tonight it was 33-33 and we had 30 defensive rebounds. That’s 30 times we didn’t give them another chance to score.”
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The Cajuns poured in 10-of-20 treys before intermission, and fittingly enough it was Glenn’s first 3-pointer that put UL ahead to stay at 8-6.
“I have no idea why I was able to shoot so well,” Glenn said. “There are always going to be three and four people around Anna, and I was blessed to hit 5-of-9.”
“Once again, every time I got the ball they were sagging in on me a lot,” said Petrakova, who hit 6-of-9 from the field and got in on the early treys with 2-of-2 from behind the arc.
“We got off to a great start shooting the ball early,” Hall said. “And we played outstanding defense to hold them to 23 points in the first half. That’s the way we play — our defense and our rebounding get us started.”
Handling Garrett (4-of-13, 11 points) was a big part of challenging NMSU’s strong perimeter game.
“That was our main focus,” Glenn said. “Whoever’s side she (Garrett) was on, that’s who guarded here.”
“She was Player of the Year in the Sun Belt last year,” Hall said of Garrett. “She scored 11 points and had to take 13 shots to do it. Sharee and Bernette Tolston did an outstanding job on her in our matchup zone.”
New Mexico State crept within 57-46 with 6:18 to play when Nicole Black (15 points, 10 rebounds) hit a 3-pointer to cap a 9-0 run, but Hall quickly called timeout and the Aggies didn’t score again from the field until a drive by Black with 12 seconds remaining.
“Coach told us to have heart,” Petrakova said. “He said we had worked too hard for this. He wanted us to play defense — don’t let them shoot on the perimeter or penetrate inside.”
The Cajuns clearly felt more comfortable at home after losing 56-38 at Texas-Pan American on Monday.
“We could have won that (UTPA) game if we had just gotten into the flow,” Glenn said. “Tonight we were at home, and we tend to play better at home.”
“We had never beat this team before, and Coach challenged us,” Petrakova said. “It was Senior Night, and we traditionally win on Senior Night.”
In many ways, this LAdy Cajun team has begun its own tradition.
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LAdy Cajuns try for key sweep
<BLOCKQUOTE><P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>Louisiana's LAdy Cajuns would normally be a little grumpy about boarding a 5:30 a.m. flight, but they didn’t seem to mind as much Friday.
The LAdy Cajuns were a few hours removed from Thursday night’s impressive 67-51 thrashing of New Mexico State at Long Gym, a victory which pushed UL to 13-11 on the season and all but locked up a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with a 7-5 league mark.
With a victory at North Texas tonight, the Cajuns could assure the school’s first winning season since an 18-11 record in 1987-88.
Thursday’s win was built on 3-point shooting (10-of-20 in the first half alone, 12-of-26 overall), as well as a defense that allowed NMSU just one basket in the final 6:18 of action.
“When we shoot well and everything’s clicking, we’re a fun team to coach and a fun team to watch,” UL coach J. Kelley Hall said.
“We called them out in the locker room before the game. I thought it was time to stop talking and step up on the perimeter.”
Cajun guards Sharee Glenn (19 points) and Bernette Tolston (8) combined for 7-of-15 treys and handcuffed Aggies star Sinnamonn Garrett to an 11-point night (4-of-13 shooting) and four turnovers, while Ashley Blanche and Morgan Mayon totalled seven assists.
“I don’t know what it is,” Hall said, “but I had not beat that team in seven tries as an assistant and head coach. I was 0-4 against them in the Big West Conference, and 0-3 here. It had never been close, for whatever reason.”
Tonight, the Cajuns will be matched against a team they outpointed 53-50 on Feb. 5.
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Tolston hit 5-of-9 3-pointers for 15 points in that game, with support from Anna Petrakova (12 points, 6 rebounds).
UNT’s Jill Medlock was also 5-of-9 on treys for 15 points, while Kim Blanton scored 10.
North Texas dropped to 9-15 overall and 5-7 in the Sun Belt when a second-half rally fell short in Thursday’s 67-58 loss to Denver. Blanton had her fourth double-double of the campaign with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
“We had some good defensive stops for a stretch in the second half, but we could not score,” UNT coach Tina Slinker said. “The way our guards are shooting, we have to go inside with the ball or get to the free throw line.”
“North Texas has a very physical team,” Hall said. “Blanton is great inside, and Medlock hit five 3’s against us the first time. I’m sure we’ll make defensive adjustments to her side. They will pound the boards on offense.
“I’m sure our kids are up to the challenge.”
Even if it means catching an early flight after a big win.
UL Lafayette women (13-11, 7-5) at North Texas (9-15, 5-7)
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: The Super Pit (10,032).
Team Leaders
UL — No. 13 Anna Petrakova (19.0 ppg., 10.1 reb., 51.9 pct. FG, 81.1 pct. FT, 50 assists, 62 blocks, 25 steals), No. 22 Tiffany Washington (10.0 ppg., 9.1 reb., 27 blk., 16 steals), No. 5 Sharee Glenn (9.2 ppg., 4.3 reb., 63 assists), No. 32 Bernette Tolston (7.8 ppg., 4.9 reb., 49-of-152 3-pt. FG), No. 3 Ashley Blanche (5.3 ppg., 72 assists, 20 steals).
UNT (23 games) — No. 3 Kim Blanton (11.9 ppg., 5.9 reb., 24 assists, 44 steals), No. 24 Jill Medlock (11.3 ppg., 4.6 reb., 50-of-136 3-pt. FG, 55 assists, 31 steals), No. 13 Jamie Armstrong (10.3 ppg., 5.4 reb., 44 assists, 26 steals), No. 30 Kennethia Wilson (7.2 ppg., 3.9 reb., 86.4 pct. FT), No. 34 Kelsie Edwards (7.2 ppg., 4.9 reb.), No. 1 Erika Bobo (6.5 ppg., 59 assists, 39 steals).
Series History
Tied at 8-8, with UL winning twice last season (58-57 at home, 65-59 in Denton) and 53-50 earlier this year in the Cajundome.
Notebook
UL has not had a winning season since the 1987-88 team finished 18-11, but could guarantee a .500 or higher mark with a win tonight ... Anna Petrakova has been UL’s top scorer in 19 of 24 games, sharing the honor with Sharee Glenn in Thursday’s win over New Mexico State with 19 points ... either Petrakova (14 times) or Tiffany Washington (10) has been the rebounding leader in each game, with Glenn tying Petrakova (8) against Southeastern La. ... the Cajuns had as many points at halftime against NMSU (leading 39-23) as they did in Monday’s 56-38 loss at Texas-Pan American.
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LAdy Cajuns fall in Arkansas, qualify for SB tournament
<blockquote><p align=justify><b>Standout Anna Petrakova suffers injury in setback.</b>
JONESBORO, Ark. — Louisiana's Lady Cajuns basketball team will participate in the Sun Belt Conference’s postseason tournament. That was the good news from Thursday night.
The bad news was the Ragin’ Cajuns, hobbled by an ankle injury to junior post player and Sun Belt leading scorer and rebounder Anna Petrakova, fell in a 57-48 loss at Arkansas State.
Petrakova rolled an ankle four minutes into the second half and didn’t return, and the Ragin’ Cajuns struggled from then on in losing the front half of a season-ending two-game swing. The Cajuns (13-13, 7-7) face Arkansas-Little Rock Saturday at 7 p.m. in the regular-season finale.
Even with the loss, the Cajuns clinched a spot in the Sun Belt tourney because of Thursday’s other league results. UL Lafayette backed in when Arkansas Little Rock defeated New Mexico St. 64-60, North Texas topped New Orleans 67-56 and South Alabama beat Denver 56-50.
UNO, Denver and NMSU each now have nine losses in the West Division, and the worst the Cajuns can finish is 7-8 even with a loss at UALR Saturday.
“We went right in the back door,” said Cajun coach J. Kelley Hall. “But we still need a win Saturday because that would put us no worse than second in the West and make sure we don’t have a losing season. That’s big for this program.”
The Cajuns were leading 33-31 at the 15:37 mark of the second half when Petrakova, the team’s leading scorer, went up for a shot and came down on an ASU player’s ankle. Petrakova didn’t play the rest of the way, and ASU used 11 Cajun turnovers and a 15-10 rebounding margin to outscore UL 26-15 over the final 15 minutes.
After Petrakova’s injury, ASU scored twice in the paint, while the Cajuns turned the ball over on two straight possessions, helping the Lady Indians take a 35-33 lead. Even though the Cajuns came back to lead on two separate occasions in the next two minutes, ASU took the lead for good on Adrianne Davie’s inside basket that made it 39-38 with just over 11 minutes left.
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“We wound up getting outrebounded by 10 and had to play all man defense after that,” Hall said of Petrakova’s injury. “We couldn’t play our matchup any more, and they pounded us in the post after that.”
Hall said that Petrakova’s ankle did not have much swelling after the game, and that if it did not swell more overnight she was still a possibility to play Saturday.
“It might not mean anything except playing for the fifth or sixth seed,” Hall said, “but we’ll see how she does tomorrow.”
A 13-5 run by ASU put the Lady Indians in front 50-43 with 6:52 remaining in the game. A free throw by Ashley Blanche and jumper by Morgan Mayon cut the deficit to four points, but ASU made seven free throws over the final 5:50.
“We pretty much held them without a field goal in the last six minutes,” Hall said. “We shut them down pretty well, we just couldn’t score.”
Mayon led the Cajuns off the bench with 13 points, while Sharee Glenn tallied 10. Tiffany Washington scored only four points, but grabbed 14 rebounds. Petrakova was limited to nine points and three boards before her injury.
Davie was the lone Lady Indian in double figures in points and rebounds, registering 18 points and 14 boards. Davie scored 14 points and snatched 10 rebounds in the second half.
Despite three turnovers from the point, the Cajuns and Lady Indians were knotted at 11-11 in the game’s first seven minutes.
A three-pointer by Petrakova gave the Cajuns a 14-13 lead before the second media timeout. The game was delayed approximately 12 minutes to clean up shredded lettuce on the court from an ASU promotion during the timeout.
A Petrakova basket and free throw by Catrice Webster were the only points scored up to the next timeout, as both teams were sluggish following the extended break. The Cajuns held a 16-14 lead at the 7:58 mark.
After ASU took a 17-16 lead, the Cajuns used an 11-4 run to take a 27-21 lead. Petrakova’s jumper preceded three-pointers from Bernette Tolston, Glenn and Mayon.
ASU used a triple from Katie Caraway with 3:37 left in the half to cut the Cajun edge to three points, and neither team scored in the final three minutes before halftime.
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