The Book: Lady Cajuns 2007-08 basketball

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Another frustrating road trip left first-year UL coach Errol Rogers looking for answers. After a 75-60 loss at Florida International on Feb. 6, the Ragin' Cajuns lost at Denver, 60-52, on Sunday. Rogers, though, said he took some positives away from the loss, which was the ninth straight for UL. The Cajuns led, 23-19, at halftime and finished with only 12 turnovers. "I thought it was one of our better games of the year," said Rogers, whose Cajuns (5-18 overall, 1-11 Sun Belt Conference) have lost 13 of their last 14. "We just didn't respond when we had a chance. "I liked our effort and the way the kids played." The rest of the story Joshua Parrott jparrott@theadvertiser.com

[DeadRed]

From NCAA Tourney to moral victories - all in one year with one bad hire.

[CajunTundra]

This is getting to be quite hilarious. The game against Denver is one that you could actually lay blame on the players and not coaching. We shot 2 for 12 on FREE THROWS, and Denver shot 10 for 15 on FREE THROWS. When you lose by 8 points that's a very significant stat. The turnovers may be better, but when each team has 12 turnovers, it's a wash. At least Coach Rogers is trying to build the Team up now and stay positive. I hope he can start admitting that we are having some challenges at the Coaching positions now, and not relying on a feel good statement from the Middle Tennesse Coach, talking about our bad breaks.

Geaux Cajuns !!!

[LuLu]

Does anyone know what happened to Ona Charles? She is a senior. She topped the 1,000 point top 10 for the school. I haven't heard anything about her in the newspapers for a very long time.

Errol Rogers should have never been selected as head coach. Who did this? David Walker? Shame! Shame!

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UL's Lady Cajuns put forth another terrific effort, but for the second time in four days, came up just a little short, falling in overtime to ULM by a final score of 65-59. UL (5-19, 1-12) overcame an eight-point deficit with less than six minutes to play, but ran out of gas in the extra session. In overtime, the teams traded possessions before Shannon Lloyd scored the first basket for ULM (16-8, 9-4) in over six minutes. Lloyd connected again to give the visitors a four-point edge. Onna Charles’ jumper was answered by Lloyd at 1:47 to keep the Warhawks leading by four. The Cajuns couldn’t get a shot to fall the rest of the way. Whitney Dunlap led the Cajuns with 13 points. Sonora Edwards enjoyed her seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Alicia McDaniel also finished in double figures, scoring 10 points. The Cajuns, trailing 57-49, held the Warhawks scoreless over the final 5:29 of regulation to force overtime. UL trailed by just four at the last media timeout, which came at the 3:05 mark. A steal and lay-up by Charles cut the Cajuns deficit to 57-55 with 2:09 remaining. A terrific in-bounds play left Edwards wide-open in the lane for an easy basket to tie the game with 39.1 seconds remaining. The Cajuns had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation but a shot as time expired was short. The Warhawks were led by 14 points apiece from Lloyd and Lottie Moore. Moore also registered a double-double with a team-high 11 boards. ULM held a five-point lead just 36 seconds into the second half, but the Cajuns used a triple from Edwards and a jumper by McDaniel to tie the game. A triple from Dunlap, her third of the game, gave the Cajuns their first lead, 38-35, at 15:59. From there, the Cajuns would only make one basket from the floor in over a seven-minute span to fall into a 49-42 hole. UL found their touch again, using baskets by Bronson Rodgers and Courtney Ratliff around two from the stripe by Jasmine Barnes to cap a 6-0 spurt. The Warhawks sprung back with a 6-0 jaunt to reclaim their seven-point lead, 55-48, with 6:30 to play. The Cajuns got a spark off the bench from Valanette Amie, who hit two free throws and then a lay-up on back-to-back possessions to chip the ULM lead to 57-53 at the 4:35 mark. The first half was a game of runs. The Warhawks opened the game with a 10-2 run as the Cajuns started 1-for-10 from the floor. UL cut their deficit to five points, 12-7, but ULM countered with an 8-3 run to build a 20-10 edge midway through the first half. The Cajuns responded with 16-8 jolt to close within two points. Five different Cajuns scored consecutively, Charles, Edwards, Barnes, Dunlap and Lyndra Bell, before Dunlap nailed two long three-point baskets to trim the ULM lead to 28-26 with 1:47 to play in the first half. UL will head back out on the road, traveling to Jonesboro, Ark., for a Sunday afternoon tilt with Arkansas State. RaginCajuns.com

[DeadRed]

Another moral victory as we go to overtime. But, that is 10 real losses in a row.

[CAJUNfox]

Is it possible to go from 25 wins to 25 losses in ONE year?

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In the face of tough times, first-year UL coach Errol Rogers has done his best to stay positive. He admits it hasn't always been easy, especially with the Cajuns having lost 10 straight and 14 of their last 15 games. But with four games left in the regular season, Rogers is still hoping UL (5-19 overall, 1-12 Sun Belt) can turn things around and make a run in the conference tournament. The Cajuns get another chance to do just that at 2 today at Arkansas State (15-10, 10-4) in Jonesboro, Ark. "Until the fat lady sings - she's humming a little bit, but she's not singing - we're still in this," Rogers said. "It's a low hum right now." The rest of the story Joshua Parrott jparrott@theadvertiser.com

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Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns continued their frustrating season, falling at Arkansas State on Sunday afternoon by a final score of 79-60. ASU (16-10, 11-4) started the second half with a 9-0 run to build a 20 point lead. The Cajuns couldn’t stop the long range shooting of Caroline Starr. Starr made all five of her three-point attempts en route to a game-high 17 points. The hosts’ lead climbed to 28 points midway through the second stanza, eliminating the chance for a comeback by UL (5-20, 1-13). The Cajuns were led by Alicia McDaniel’s double-double of 16 points and 11 boards. Sonora Edwards just missed a double-dip with 16 points and nine boards. The hosts shot 52.4 percent for the game, while the visitors struggled to 33.8 percent from the floor. UL fell into a hole in the first half after shooting just 30.3 percent from the floor, including 1-for-8 from three-point range. ASU shot 51.5 percent from the floor, including 60 percent from long distance. The Cajuns took their only lead of the game, 6-5, at the 15:07 mark. ASU countered with an 8-0 run in 54 seconds to build a 13-6 edge. Three straight ASU steals led to easy fast break lay-ups by the Indians, giving the hosts a 27-14 lead at the 8:33 mark. UL made four straight free throws to cut their deficit down to nine points, but ASU scored three straight baskets to give the Indians a 33-18 advantage with 3:25 remaining in the opening half. ASU had a 16-point lead at the 1:00 mark, but the final minute belonged to the Cajuns. Lyndra Bell made two from the stripe with 44.1 seconds remaining and McDaniel buried a triple from the corner with four seconds left in the half to close the margin to 11 points at the break. Up next for UL is a trip to New Orleans for a meeting with UNO on Thursday. The Cajuns will finish the regular season with three straight home games, beginning next Sunday vs. UALR at 2pm in Earl K. Long Gym. RaginCajuns.com

[DeadRed]

_ Is it possible to go from 25 wins to 25 losses in ONE year? _

Eleven in a row and .....

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The frustration continues for the UL women's basketball team, which has lost 11 straight Sun Belt games and 15 of its last 16 games overall. "Believe it or not the kids still feel we can get this done," said first-year UL coach Errol Rogers. "The kids are OK. They know that even with all the games we've lost, you can go to the conference tournament and win four games and still go to the NCAA Tournament. "But I do believe we need to get a win before we get to the (conference) tournament." The Ragin' Cajuns (5-20 overall, 1-13 SBC) look to end their streak at 7 tonight at New Orleans (12-13, 6-8) in the Human Performance Center. UL enters the game last in the West Division, while UNO is fifth in the West. The rest of the story Joshua Parrott jparrott@theadvertiser.com

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Louisiana's Lady Cajuns lost a lead, but came back in dramatic fashion to earn a 58-56 victory at New Orleans on Thursday evening. Louisiana (6-20, 2-13) used a three-point basket from Whitney Dunlap with 5.2 seconds remaining to win the game. Dunlap, who did not hit a field goal in the meeting between the two teams earlier this season, scored a career-high 23 points - including six triples - to lead the Cajuns. The Cajuns have now won 10 straight vs. UNO. The last UNO victory came back on Feb. 9, 2003. New Orleans (12-14, 6-9) grabbed the lead with 4:52 remaining and held it until Dunlap’s final shot. The Cajuns led for all but 30 seconds of the first half, and held a seven-point edge with nine minutes to play, but couldn’t muster the offense to keep their lead. Leading by seven, the Cajuns made only two free throws over the next seven minutes. Amazingly, the Cajuns trailed by only four points with 2:30 remaining. Alicia McDaniel scored the Cajuns first field goal in a span of 7:42 to pull the Cajuns within two points. After a Talisha Young basket, Dunlap converted a three-point play to make it a one-point game, 56-55, with 1:20 left in the game. Courtney Ratliff missed two free throws with 38.1 seconds remaining, but her offensive rebound gave the Cajuns another chance. UL committed a turnover with 17.8 second remaining and was forced to foul. Brittany Helm missed the front end of a 1-and-1 to give the Cajuns possession. Following a timeout with 7.6 seconds remaining, Dunlap came off a double screen and buried the game-winning triple. McDaniel added 14 points and Sonora Edwards had 11 points and a team-best six rebounds. Edwards now sits 15 points shy of 1,000 for her career. Le’Della English led a trio of Privateers in double figures with 15 points. Young added 13 points and Helm scored 11 points. UNO made its first five shots of the second half, but the Cajuns countered with four of their first five to keep a four-point lead. After the hosts closed within two points, the Cajuns used five unanswered to take a seven-point edge. The Privateers tied the game thanks to offensive rebounds leading to second and sometimes third shots. With eight minutes to play, UNO had 34 total rebounds, including 17 offensive boards, while the Cajuns had only 18 total rebounds. Ratliff gave the Cajuns back the lead with one free throw at the five minute mark, but Helm scored eight seconds later to give UNO their first lead since the 18:36 mark of the first half. UNO dominated the rebounds, 42-26, but the Cajuns committed a season-low 10 turnovers. Just as they did in the first meeting, the Cajuns jumped on the Privateers early. UL outscored UNO 19-7 in the first 9:05 of the game. All five Cajuns starters had at least one basket in the first seven minutes, with McDaniel providing seven of UL’s first 19 points. UNO started the game 4-for-20 from the floor. The Privateers bounced back with a 7-0 run to cut their deficit to five points. Edwards converted a turnaround jumper – her third basket of the first half – to stop the host’s run. Dunlap’s second triple pushed the Cajuns’ lead to eight points, 26-18, with 4:07 remaining in the opening half. Dunlap hit two more triples in the final minutes, but UNO outscored the Cajuns 9-6 to end the half down five points. The Cajuns return home to face UALR on Sunday afternoon at Earl K. Long Gym. Tip is slated for 2pm. The RaginCajuns.com

[CajunTundra]

Awesome game by Dunlap, glad we finally broke the losing streak. Hopefully this is start of something. Maybe we can get some more confidence before the start of the SunBelt Tournament. Does anybody know why Coach Rogers doesn't play Onna Charles ? From the games I've seen it looks like we struggle on our halfcourt offensive scoring. If we get Charles and Dunlap hitting three's from the outside, it should open up the inside game for Edwards and McDaniel.

Geaux Cajuns !!!

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With a simple flip of her right wrist, junior Whitney Dunlap ended the mounting frustration for the UL women's basketball team Thursday night. The 5-foot-8 guard drilled a 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left as the Ragin' Cajuns edged New Orleans, 58-56, on the road at the Human Performance Center. The thrilling Sun Belt Conference win snapped an 11-game losing streak for UL, which had dropped 15 of its previous 16 games. It was the break first-year UL coach Errol Rogers and his Cajuns (6-20 overall, 2-13 SBC) had been waiting for all season. "We got that break," Rogers said. "We've been working hard. The kids hadn't given up. We got down again late, and they could have gone 'Oh, here we go again.' But they believed. "We still believe." The rest of the story Joshua Parrott jparrott@theadvertiser.com

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Sonora Edwards topped 1,000 career points in the Lady Cajuns victory. Louisiana led for the entire game en route to a 68-63 upset of North Texas on Wednesday evening. UL (7-21, 3-14) now moves into the No. 12 seed thanks to Troy’s victory over Florida Atlantic. The Lady Cajuns are currently matched with the No. 5 seed for the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament – in-state rival Louisiana-Monroe. North Texas (13-16, 8-9) was able to close within two points at the 8:53 mark of the second half, but Sonora Edwards scored the biggest basket of her career to turn the game around. Edwards’ offensive rebound and put-back at the 8:23 mark stopped the NT run and gave the senior center 1,001 career points – making her the 13th player in school history, and second this season, to join the 1,000-point club. Coincidently, Onna Charles topped the 1,000-point mark earlier in the season at North Texas. Edwards wasn’t finished, hitting two more baskets to give UL a 56-48 lead with 5:38 to play. Alicia McDaniel’s three-point play saw the hosts lead grow to 61-52 with under four minutes left in the game. NT scored two baskets in seven seconds to ignite another 7-2 run that closed the visitors within four points at 2:44. Brittney James missed two free throws that would have made it a two-point game with exactly one minute remaining. Instead, Edwards nailed two from the stripe to give UL a 67-61 edge with 57.8 seconds left. Edwards led all players with 16 points, 16 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Three other Cajuns scored in double figures, including McDaniel with 16 points, Courtney Ratliff with 14 points and Whitney Dunlap with 11 points. Ratliff added 10 boards to earn her third double-double of the season. McDaniel has now scored in double figures 19 times in her last 20 games. The Mean Green also had four players in double figures, led by 15 points from James. McDaniel opened the second half with a jumper to extend the Cajuns lead to 13 points. From there, North Texas outscored the Cajuns 7-2 to trim the lead under double figures. UL used baskets by Ratliff and Edwards to keep a 12-point cushion with 13:28 to play. Talicia Sanders scored three baskets during a 14-4 Mean Green run that saw the Cajuns lead get down to two points, 48-46, with 8:53 remaining. UL has now won twice in the last three games. The Cajuns had all five starters score in the first 7:26 and shot 43 percent in the first half en route to a 36-25 lead at the break. Edwards had two early baskets and Dunlap hit a triple to help the Cajuns grab a 12-6 lead. Consecutive baskets from Ratliff and Dunlap’s second triple pushed the Cajuns lead to 10 points, 23-13, at the midway point of the first half. The Mean Green countered with a 7-2 run to cut their deficit in half, but UL responded with an 11-5 burst to close the half with an 11-point lead. McDaniel triggered the run with two quick baskets. She finished the half with a basket with seven seconds remaining. The Lady Cajuns finish the regular season on Saturday afternoon vs. Denver. The front end of the Cajundome doubleheader begins at 4:30pm. RaginCajuns.com