The Book: Lady Cajuns 2006-07 basketball

[CajunCherokee]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/ncaato...ory?id=2796452

ESPN's Take

With Middle Tennessee ahead of them in the league race, there's no shame in being the second-best team in the Sun Belt Conference.

The Ragin' Cajuns, in fact, have finished as the league's runner-up the past two seasons. But this time, the selection committee extended a rare at-large invitation to a mid-major, so University of Louisiana is dancing for the first time and enters the NCAA Tournament with a 25-8 record.

Yolanda Jones leads University of Louisiana, averaging a double-double of 17.9 points and 10.4 rebounds. The 6-foot-1 senior power forward, who shoots 47 percent from the field, led the Ragin' Cajuns in scoring in all but 10 games, including two 30-point performances. While Jones also posts a team-high 67 steals, she has almost twice as many turnovers (104) than assists (59).

Junior center Sonora Edwards (10.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and junior shooting guard Onna Charles (11.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg) are the only other Ragin' Cajuns in double figures. Edwards leads La.-Lafayette with 48 percent shooting from the field. Charles is the team's 3-point threat, hitting 56 treys on the season.

Senior point guard Jeanenne Colbert is the ballhandler of the bunch, dishing out 4.5 assists per game.

Defense is a strength. The Ragin' Cajuns average eight steals while holding opponents to 58 points per game. Plus, foes shoot just 29 percent from 3-point range and 35 percent from the field. That stalwart defense and a plus-10 rebounding margin help make up for La.-Lafayette's 17.5 turnovers per game, 63 percent accuracy at the foul line and 32 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Against fellow NCAA Tournament teams, University of Louisiana went 0-3, including two losses to Middle Tennessee by a combined 37 points, though the second loss was by 10. The Ragin' Cajuns also got pummeled by LSU, 65-31, back on Nov. 16.

-- Melanie Jackson

[Turbine]

foes shoot just 29 percent from 3-point range and 35 percent from the field

Key . . . seems to me.

[DestinCajun]

It seems (to me) what You, Jay and Gay are guilty of is concentrating your attention and energy on a single word in a phrase instead of the phrase.

I'll get with Jay and Gay - (Hey that rhymes) - and talk about it.

Meanwhile,,,,,,,, Geaux Ragin' Cajuns!!!!

[DestinCajun]

Dude Cajuns

Dudette Cajuns

I wonder if they have this problem at South Carolina with the "Cocks"?

Z.

If Fun has his way, it'll be the UL Mademoiselle Cajuns and we'll have those dang little flowers all over the uni's.

Glad I'm not a SC women's sports fan. I'd feel awfully uncomfortable with their hat on.

[Zeebart21]

If Fun has his way, it'll be the UL Mademoiselle Cajuns and we'll have those dang little flowers all over the uni's.

Glad I'm not a SC women's sports fan. I'd feel awfully uncomfortable with their hat on.

Only if you were on the losing end of the score.

Z.

[LLcoolway]

You've totally missed the point.

Our women's coaches don't want the term LADY CAJUNS used. None of them have a problem with Cajuns. They have a problem with LADY.

You don't have to agree with their wishes. But it would be nice to respect them.

Even Pokey don't have no problem with LADY.

[Zeebart21]

Even Pokey don't have no problem with LADY.

It is my understanding that whenever introducing herself to a new recruit, Pokey's opening statement was always..."Lez be friends"...

Can anyone confirm or deny?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Z.

[angellebertrand]

I just finished watching the KATC 10 o'clock news and was shocked to hear of there report on the lack of community (and school) support of the women's basketball going to the NCAA tournament. If you read my comment "I don't mean to complain already but if it were the men..." now you see, I had reason to complain prematurely. I was predicting the obvious. Local businesses have not put up any signs or letters on their marquees congratulating our team on their success. I AM ASHAMED! Not only as a huge, die hard fan, but more (embarassingly) as a student. I took off of work to go watch them and my family and I are waking up at 4 am to go to Austin. But not one business could have put up "Geaux Cajuns" on their sign? So, If J.Kelly Hall leaves next year, don't be suprised. Not only has the state's third largest city brushed him off, but he probably won't be getting a raise after this HISTORIC year either.
DON'T BLAME ME, I'M GOING TO THE GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DaddyCajun]

I just finished watching the KATC 10 o'clock news and was shocked to hear of there report on the lack of community (and school) support of the women's basketball going to the NCAA tournament. If you read my comment "I don't mean to complain already but if it were the men..." now you see, I had reason to complain prematurely. I was predicting the obvious. Local businesses have not put up any signs or letters on their marquees congratulating our team on their success. I AM ASHAMED! Not only as a huge, die hard fan, but more (embarassingly) as a student. I took off of work to go watch them and my family and I are waking up at 4 am to go to Austin. But not one business could have put up "Geaux Cajuns" on their sign? So, If J.Kelly Hall leaves next year, don't be suprised. Not only has the state's third largest city brushed him off, but he probably won't be getting a raise after this HISTORIC year either.
DON'T BLAME ME, I'M GOING TO THE GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!

There certainly needs to be more support!!!!! I did however see a couple of signs congratulating the Lady Cajuns as I drove to eat tonight. One was KATC at Cajun Field's scrolling sign and the other was at Ledgends on Bertrand. We need many more to get behind these girls but it will take continued sucess and MARKETING by UL. Our Marketing guy at UL does very little to help the cause. IF ERIC did even half the job Gerald is doing we would have a pretty good marketing dept.

Eric needs to get off his big one and get into the offices of businesses as Gerald has and raise some monies. He has made some good slogans in the past but it is NOT out there enough.

Sorry Eric but your not doing your job. I do not know if Dr A and company has your arms tied behind your back but if not you need to turn over a new leaf yesterday and get with it, our athletes and coaches work TOO hard for you not too!!

DaddyCajun

[NewsCopy]

UL and LSU are playing at the same first-round site Saturday in the NCAA Women's Basketball Championships, with the Cajuns meeting Marquette at 1:30p.m. and LSU facing UNC-Asheville at 9:30 p.m. But even though they're both playing at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin Saturday, they're in different NCAA regions and in completely different parts of the bracket. UL is in the Dayton Regional, one that has first and second-round games at four different sites with four teams advancing to next weekend's regional round at Dayton, Ohio, March 25 and 27. LSU is the No. 3 seed in the Fresno Regional, with its four site winners advancing to a March 24 and 26 regional at Fresno, Calif. The only way the two teams could meet is in the national finals. GOOD IRON: The Cajuns had success offensively in its first three games of the season, all played at the Erwin Center. UL topped Texas State 59-39 and Maryland-Eastern Shore 68-36 on either side of a 69-59 loss to host Texas in the Basketball Travelers' Classic Nov. 12-14. Cajun guards Onna Charles and Whitney Dunlap both credited the rims at the Erwin Center with some of that success. Charles hit 8-of-14 shots including all six of her three-point tries in the Texas game on the way to a 23-point effort. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com