The Book: Lady Cajuns 2006-07 basketball

[Turbine]

When the baseball team was out of the post season last year I noticed it for the first time. When the baseball team was eliminated the media started calling the softball team Ragin Cajuns. Why is that? I thought it was my thinking but they are doing it this year again, the mens baskeball team is out of post season and the girls team is now the Ragin' Cajuns. They need constancy here this is not the right time of year to change a sports team name.

Ragin' Cajuns for the various women’s teams is out there in the regular season as well, however it rarely gets used in newspaper headlines.

My guess is that when you happened to see Ragin' Cajuns in the regular season you (and others) came to the immediate conclusion that it was for 1 of the various men’s teams.

In my opinion we should not have to think about the exact subject when reading a headline. The print media seems to back this up because instead of using the text hogging terms Lady Ragin' Cajuns or Ragin' Cajun Women they have often decided on the concise term UL Women. Which if you ask me is OK but rather bland and generic when compared to Lady Cajuns.

Some radio hosts often fail to use Ragin’ Cajun Women for a very simple reason. It is a very long winded phrase especially during play-by-play... Instead they resort to using the term Cajun Women, which is no different from the fan favorite Lady Cajuns.

In my opinion the noble consolidation attempt to promote the term Ragin' Cajuns has backfired. Unfortunately, lost in translation is a dynamite best ever Lady Cajun basketball team that has no identity of its own.

jmo

[Kal]

Do we stand a good chance at getting into the tourney if we lose the game? The Lady Cajuns have done an amazing job this season and a trip to the dance seems in order. To me if you play a close game with MTSU in the finals, that we should get in as well.

[lcitsh]

Do we stand a good chance at getting into the tourney if we lose the game? The Lady Cajuns have done an amazing job this season and a trip to the dance seems in order. To me if you play a close game with MTSU in the finals, that we should get in as well.

Not a chance. RPI is too low, only 1 quality win (top 50 RPI) and way too many higher profile teams ahead of us. We either win or go NITing.

[Kal]

Not a chance. RPI is too low, only 1 quality win (top 50 RPI) and way too many higher profile teams ahead of us. We either win or go NITing.

Man. Even with us receiving votes for the top 25 poll? That really sucks.

[CajunCherokee]

I watched the game today online and we played a really good game. There was a stretch where I think we turned the ball over 8 straight times and 9 out of 10. I believe it went from 19-18 to 31-18 in that stretch. Too early to be a turning point but I don't believe we got it back closer than 4.

I'm very proud of the Ladies. A 25-8 record is awesome and hopefully we will at least get a look from the NCAA commitee. If not, I'll be cheering along in the NIT.

GEAUX CAJUNS!

[Membertou]

I watched the game today online and we played a really good game. There was a stretch where I think we turned the ball over 8 straight times and 9 out of 10. I believe it went from 19-18 to 31-18 in that stretch. Too early to be a turning point but I don't believe we got it back closer than 4.

I'm very proud of the Ladies. A 25-8 record is awesome and hopefully we will at least get a look from the NCAA commitee. If not, I'll be cheering along in the NIT.

GEAUX CAJUNS!

I was able to get out to the game for the 1st half before having to run back to work. There was a decent but not great crowd--maybe 800? Middle brought a couple hundred it looked like. It was a very good year for the Cajuns and for them not to make the WNIT would be a rip-off.

[IHateLaState]

I was able to get out to the game for the 1st half before having to run back to work. There was a decent but not great crowd--maybe 800? Middle brought a couple hundred it looked like. It was a very good year for the Cajuns and for them not to make the WNIT would be a rip-off.

I did the same thing.. left with about 15 minutes to go in the game.. The crowd was decent.. The ladies softball team provided some spirit...

The ladies gave it a great shot... MT is very athletic and we had to work so hard just to get the ball up court... Almost seemed unfair to watch MT just walk the ball up aftter our ladies had worked so hard... Congrats MT... you deserve to be in the Top Ten... represent us well!!!

Final thought....I know all about the TV thing but it is a shame they could not have the game at night... Im sure a few thousand would have shown..... Now dont go quoting this past weekend... There were a bunch of us in Hattiesburg this weekend that would have been in the Cajundome.... Cant be in two places..........

[CajunAmos]

As Steve said during the broadcase, and Coach Meridith seemed to validate after the game, they are guaranteed a birth in the NIT tournament, but they are still hoping for a NCAA at large selection. She mentioned that the commish is still saying we may get two into the NCAA's.

[Kal]

Very good season Lady Cajuns. Here's hoping you make the big dance anyway.

And to MTSU- good season, good wins, good job in the tourney, now go and represent for the SBC and make some noise for us in the NCAA tourney.

[NewsCopy]

UL's women's basketball team did what it had to do, and it still wasn't enough Tuesday afternoon. Chrissy Givens saw to that. Middle Tennessee's standout senior guard drove, shot and defended her way to 33 points in leading the 16th-ranked Blue Raiders to a tougher-than-expected 77-67 win over the host Ragin' Cajuns in the championship game of the Sun Belt Tournament at the Cajundome. The Raiders (29-3) won for the 26th straight time, the nation's longest such streak, and did that by holding off every run the Cajun squad made in the game's final 30 minutes. The runs were frequent, but always too short against an MT squad that managed to score in bunches every time UL threatened. "They're a very experienced team," said Cajun coach J. Kelley Hall. "The girls that they have back, they didn't panic when we made our runs. Give them a lot of credit, because you have to play the game at a high rate of speed against them." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Middle Tennessee will likely be no worse than a number four seed when the brackets are announced for the NCAA women's basketball tournament on Sunday. UL would be thrilled just to see its name pop up, but the chances are probably slim for a Cajun team that fell 77-67 to the 16th-ranked Blue Raiders in Tuesday's Sun Belt Conference Tournament title game. J. Kelley Hall thinks his Ragin' Cajuns deserve a shot, especially after its showing at the Cajundome Tuesday. "We played a 10-point game against a team that's going to be a four seed," he said Tuesday evening. "We're a division champion and the second-place team in a league that's been ranked eighth or ninth all year. I think that should translate into a bid. "I think it's a shame if we're not in." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[gsibille]

What a great effort by the women in the Sunbelt finals. The photo that accompanies the article in the Advertiser gives a poor impression of a team who fought hard all year and finished with a 25-8 record. While there is understandable dejection in a loss, great satisfaction must be taken of a truly special team. I can't remember a team of any gender being better coached or play with such heart. Congratulations all involved on a memorable year. Here's looking forward to the post season.