The Book: 2006-2007 Ragin' Cajuns Basketball

[rhineaux]

I understand. However, probably the reason why wins didn't start coming in bunches until conference season is because they played @Kansas, @ Vanderbilt, @ NC State and @ Charlotte. Three of those without Orien Greene. They went on like an eight game conference win streak. I don't know if they were top 25 talent. But the reason why it seemed like it was up to Tiras Wade to shoot us to victory is becuse no one else could shoot.

Orien got hurt in the Kansas game and missed most of that one, too. Not that it would have mattered...That team is nearly unbeateable in that place.

[NewsCopy]

Expect a matchup of backcourt aces when UL's men host South Alabama at 7:05 p.m. tonight at the Cajundome. UL's one-two perimeter punch of David Dees and Ross Mouton rank third and fourth in the league in scoring, both at 18.2. Meanwhile, USA's Demetric Bennett leads the Jaguars in scoring (15.6) and is fourth in the Sun Belt in three-point baskets with 46 this season. "They have very experienced guards," said Cajun coach Robert Lee of the Jaguars. "We've got to do a better job of cutting down on penetration because they've done that well." The rest of the story

[CajunDreDog]

S. Bama Game Notes: http://www.usajaguars.com/pdf1/58095.pdf

[RaginDave]

Cajuns up at the half

34
32

[RaginFan2]

Cajuns have taken a 2 point lead into halftime. They seem to be playing fairly well. Mouton with 11 points. Dees (suffering from the flu) has played some but has only 2 points so far. Milsaps and Hebert are contributing on Offense. Also, Hart, Lago, and Milson seemed to have contributed as well. Geaux Cajuns! Come out strong in the second half. No let-up.

[RaginDave]

Cajuns have taken a 2 point lead into halftime. They seem to be playing fairly well. Mouton with 11 points. Dees (suffering from the flu) has played some but has only 2 points so far. Milsaps and Hebert are contributing on Offense. Also, Hart, Lago, and Milson seemed to have contributed as well. Geaux Cajuns! Come out strong in the second half. No let-up.

Cajuns 43
Jags 42

13.16 left in the second half!

[LongTimeCajun]

Cajuns lose by 4. They killed us down low, and we couldn't stop a 5'3 guy from penetrating and laying it in the entire 2nd half. Hope Dees gets well quick because 1 for 7 shooting won't cut it. We did have 10 different people score though, which I guess is a positive.

[NewsCopy]

LAFAYETTE – Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns men’s basketball team had another near miss on Tuesday as South Alabama escaped from the Cajundome with a 73-69 victory. The loss was the Cajuns’ seventh this season by five points or less and ended the team’s two-game winning streak in the Cajundome. Louisiana-Lafayette (4-15, 2-7 Sun Belt) was clinging to a 61-59 lead and had the basketball with a chance at increasing its lead as the five-minute mark approached. UL had just forced USA into a turnover and was running the shot clock down to the final seconds. Willie Lago had an open look at the basket and a four-point lead, but he opted to kick the ball out to the perimeter. Unfortunately none of the Cajuns were waiting for the pass and the Jaguars collected the loose ball. South Alabama (12-7, 6-2 Sun Belt) worked the ball inside to Ernest Little who hit a turnaround jumper for two of his 16 second-half points that evened the score at 61-all with 4:37 on the scoreboard. After Ross Mouton missed a three-point attempt the Jaguars worked back down the court to find Stephen Cowherd for a three-point make which gave USA a 64-61 lead that created the game’s 28th and final lead change. Cowherd’s triple was the only one USA made the entire second half. The Cajuns would draw within one point on two free throws from Elijah Millsap at 3:27 The Jaguars went back to Little in the paint for an short jumper upping the lead to 66-63. After a Millsap turnover on the ensuing possession Daon Merritt weaved into the lane and hit a shot over David Dees that increased the Jaguars lead to 68-63 with 2:18 remaining. The Cajuns got the lead back down to three points, but it took over one minute to do so and only 1:07 was left on the clock. From there the Jaguars hit five free throws to finish off the victory. The South Alabama win marked the third straight victory for the visiting team in the series. The Jaguars claimed their second straight win – and third in the last four visits – in the Cajundome. The Ragin’ Cajuns fell for the fourth time when leading at the half. Prior to this season UL had let halftime leads slip away only four times in the previous two seasons combined. The Cajuns received a game-high 23 points from Mouton. He was joined in double figures by Millsap and Derek Gray who each added 11 points. Little paced the Jaguars with 20 points and 10 rebounds. He helped USA to a 36-26 edge on points in the paint and a commanding 37-25 advantage in rebounds. The Jaguars broke the scoreboard first, but the Cajuns used a quick five-point spurt from Millsap to establish an early lead. Millsap hit a three-pointer on UL’s first possession and then stole the ball on the ensuing possession and drew a foul on a breakaway basket. He hit both freebies and upped the UL lead to 5-2 at 18:29. UL jumped out to a 7-2 lead before the Jaguars used two baskets in the 17-minute mark to cut the lead to 7-6. Both USA makes followed Cajuns’ misses. Mouton’s first basket of the evening came right after the first media timeout. As the Cajuns moved up court he took a pass and stopped and hit a jumper in the left wing giving the Cajuns a 9-6 edge at 15:46. USA then used a 7-0 run before the next minute expired to reclaim the lead. Bennett hit a jumper at 15:19 to close the lead to 9-8. Mouton then attempted a three-pointer on UL’s possession that was off the mark. On the rebound the Jaguars pushed the ball up court where Cowherd was found open for a triple at 15:00 that gave USA an 11-9 advantage. A Cajuns missed shot on a fastbreak led to another quick basket for the Jaguars. Carlos Smith hit a jumper at 14:35 that pushed the Jags lead to 13-9 and prompted a UL timeout. The Jags run reached nine straight points when Merritt hit two free throws at 14:14. UL would cut the deficit to three points on a Mouton three-point make at 13:50, but USA scored three straight points to reopen a six point edge at 18-12 with 12:49 left in the half. The Cajuns got two free throws from Mouton at 9:18 and then a layup in transition at 8:18 to slice the Jaguars lead to 20-18. USA came right back and worked the ball inside to Little who posted up and banked a shot off the backboard at 8:03. UL then regained the lead with a 5-0 run. Mouton made both free throws on a 1-and-1 chance at 6:31 to cap off the run and give the Cajuns a 23-22 edge. Merritt hit a running hook shot at 5:31 to begin a string of five straight possessions where the lead changed hands. A Rhett Hebert triple at 5:09 gave the Cajuns a 26-24 lead, but the Jaguars answered back with a Smith three-pointer at 4:45 and then the two teams swapped baskets giving USA a 29-28 lead with 4:12 left in the opening stanza. UL reclaimed the lead at 3:21 when Gray converted a layup giving the Cajuns a 30-29 edge. After two USA misses on the ensuing possession, it was Valentino Hart rebounding a miss by Gray and knocking down the putback at 2:53 to push the lead to 32-29. The Jaguars got three free throws by the 1:37 mark to forge the second tie of the half at 32-all. The Cajuns would get the last possession of the half as Trajinski Grigsby committed a turnover with 37 seconds left. The Cajuns held the ball until the shot clock reached its final seconds and Hebert got a fadeaway jumper to bounce in giving the Cajuns a 34-32 lead at the break. The Jaguars went inside to Little to start the second half and he provided four unanswered points to give USA a 36-34 lead by the 18:29 mark. The Cajuns would jump back in front at 16:52 when Mouton buried a triple from the right corner to put the Cajuns up 39-38. Merritt drove in the lane for the second straight USA possession and hit a scoop shot in the lane to return the lead to the visitors at 40-39. Mouton’s second three-point make of the second half came at 14:38 and the hosts jumped back in front 42-40. The lead grew to three points after Millsap stole the ball on the return trip and raced back to draw a foul and made a free throw on a two-shot foul. The Jags scored four quick points after Millsap’s free throw to regain the advantage 44-43 after a reverse layup by Merritt at 12:52. The teams swapped baskets in a frenzy after Merritt’s make and USA remained in front 48-47 at the 11:28 mark. The lead changed hands six more times with neither team taking a lead larger than one point. On the seventh lead change, Gray connected on a three-pointer in the left corner that gave the Cajuns a 57-55 lead with 8:20 remaining. UL then forced the Jags to miss a shot on the return trip and Dees worked his way into the lane and drew a foul at 7:59. Dees made one free throw to give the Cajuns their largest lead of the second half to that point at 58-55. The Cajuns had a chance to extend the lead further after USA committed an offensive foul. However, a turnover as the shot clock was winding down led to a fastbreak layup by Merritt that trimmed the Cajuns lead back down to one point with 7:00 left in the contest. Another UL turnover and a pair of missed shots kept the game at one point. The Jaguars took the lead once more at 5:53 after Merritt drove into the lane and drew a foul. He hit both freebies on a 1-and-1 chance to put USA in the lead at 59-58. Millsap scored three points all by himself and UL was back in front again. He hit one free throw on a two-shot foul at 5:36. After he missed the second he hustled to gain the offensive rebound and bounce around defenders for an uncontested layup that gave UL a 61-59 edge. For the second time in the half the Cajuns had an opportunity to stretch the lead out to four points. However, a turnover by Willie Lago led to a Little turnaround jumper at 4:37 that drew a 61-all tie. Mouton missed a three-pointer on the Cajuns possession and the Jaguars gained a three-point lead before the three-minute media timeout when Cowherd hit a three-pointer at 3:47 putting USA in front 64-61. The Ragin’ Cajuns stay at home and will face Troy on Saturday, Jan. 20 in the Cajundome. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. LOUISIANA SI

[Kal]

Cajuns lose by 4. They killed us down low, and we couldn't stop a 5'3 guy from penetrating and laying it in the entire 2nd half. Hope Dees gets well quick because 1 for 7 shooting won't cut it. We did have 10 different people score though, which I guess is a positive.

Adam James must be an animal at practice, because he sure isn't one during the game. He plays hard for like 40 seconds in the game, then the rest of the time he's mishandling rebounds and setting picks for invisble opponents. I cringe everytime I see him come in off the bench, because we can kiss the lead goodbye. If you doubt me, just look at the scoresheets. I can safely say if we have a lead when he comes in, we don't have one by the time he comes out. Adam James has to start playing with some consistency or Lee has to keep him on the bench.

[Zeebart21]

Cajuns lose by 4. They killed us down low, and we couldn't stop a 5'3 guy from penetrating and laying it in the entire 2nd half. Hope Dees gets well quick because 1 for 7 shooting won't cut it. We did have 10 different people score though, which I guess is a positive.

Alot of kids learned some things about themselves tonight. Thats a big positive!

Lots of basketball left.

Z.

[RCAJUN90]

Alot of kids learned some things about themselves tonight. Thats a big positive!

Lots of basketball left.

Z.

4-14! I'm not a big basketball person so I don't know. Is this one of the worst starts in basketball? When I was a student we always had pretty good teams.

[Tripple Threat]

This is what happens when a team starts over.We probably don't have to rehash the record after every loss. I'd like to say that I'm proud of the fact that these guys continue to fight in every game. I've played for some bad basketball teams and I can tell you that it's really hard to stay motivated when you keep reflecting back to the record. Props to the coaches for keeping them motivated. There are a lot of first time college players and inexperienced players on that team and I'm happy they haven't quit yet.

Speaking of not quitting...did anyone catch the Texas/Ok State game? Awsome.

[DaddyCajun]

Triple Threat you are correct they are playing very hard and this team is very young, filled with Freshmen and transfers. They play hard and are in every game just about, so I continue to stick with these guys.

My hopes are that we start winning some games soon to allow this team in the tourney and to give them the confidence to make some noise in the tourney. My hopes anyway!

DaddyCajun

[NewsCopy]

Ernest Little came up big in a game that neither team was able to control, and because he did, South Alabama's Jaguars have their fifth straight victory. Little had 16 of his 20 points in the second half Tuesday night, helping propel the visiting Jags to a 73-69 Sun Belt Conference victory over UL's Ragin' Cajuns at the Cajundome. The Cajuns (4-15, 2-7 Sun Belt), losing their third straight game and having a two-game home win streak snapped, had only one field goal from the eight-minute mark until only 37 seconds remained. That two points came on Elijah Millsap's offensive rebound putback of his own missed free throw, which gave UL a 61-59 advantage with 5:34 left. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[Just1More]

Triple Threat you are correct they are playing very hard and this team is very young, filled with Freshmen and transfers. They play hard and are in every game just about, so I continue to stick with these guys.

My hopes are that we start winning some games soon to allow this team in the tourney and to give them the confidence to make some noise in the tourney. My hopes anyway!

DaddyCajun

This team's hard work will pay off.