UL - Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns women’s basketball team played their best game of the 2008-09 season, but it was not enough as UL fell to Mercer 71-62 at historic Earl K. Long Gym on Friday night.
Louisiana scored a season-best 62 points on the night, but fell victim of a costly four-minute scoring drought when the game was tied 38-38 with 13:14 remaining. Mercer took advantage of the scoring deficiency by the Cajuns with an 11-0 run to take control of the game. UL cut the lead to as little as six, but could not overtake the Bears.
The Cajuns posted their best shooting effort of the season connecting on 22 of 59 shots for a 37.3 percent from the field. The effort topped their previous best of 31.7 percent from the floor set in Wednesday’s game against Ole Miss.
Individually, Alexis Green continued her hot play, finishing the night with a team-best 16 points despite being held scoreless for the first 10 minutes of the game. On the season, she is averaging 14.3 points per game and she is the only Cajuns’ player to net double-digit points in every game this season.
Green was flanked by D’Mya Clay who posted 11 points, while Mercedes Johnson chipped in nine. Whitney Dunlap and Jasmine Barnes each contributed eight points apiece and Barnes finished the night as the Cajuns’ leading rebounder with seven boards.
All five starters for Mercer were in double-figures, but the Cajuns bench outscored the Bears 10-to-2.
UL was once again plagued by turnovers, giving the ball to Mercer 25 times. However, the Cajuns caused 22 turnovers by the Bears and managed 21 points off of the miscues.
For the second straight game, Louisiana came out quick out of the gate. Clay drained a triple from the top of the key to give the Cajuns a 3-0 edge just 30-second into the game.
Mercer responded with a 6-0 run, but UL countered with an 8-0 run of their own. Johnson sparked the UL run with a jumper in the paint. She and Clay combined for a pair of baskets and Barnes capped off the run with a fast break layup.
Tied 13-13 with just less than 10 minutes to play in the half, the Ragin’ Cajuns opened up the game with a 16-5 run.
Green began the run with a layup. Mercer responded with a basket, but a free throw by Johnson and a triple by Dunlap gave the Cajuns a four point edge. A three-point play by Green extended the UL lead to seven points with six minutes to play in the half.
Leading 22-18, Green muscled her way in the paint for an easy layup.
Michelle Brunker made her first basket as a Cajun count as she drained a triple from the right side. She finished off the run with a jumper to give UL a 29-18 advantage.
Louisiana’s 11-point lead with 2:45 remaining in the half was the largest lead for the Cajuns in the young 2008-09 season.
Mercer chipped away at the Cajuns lead and Louisiana took a 30-24 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Bears continued to edge closer to the Cajuns until a layup under the goal knotted the score at 32-32.
Dunlap hit a three pointer at the top of the key to give the Cajuns back the lead, 35-32, but a pair of free throws by Mercer cut the UL advantage to just one with 15:31 to go in the game.
A layup, coupled with a pair of free throws by the Bears saw the Cajuns trailing for the first time since the 18-minute mark of the first half.
Down three with just under 14 minutes to play, Lyndra Bell cut the lead to just two with a free throw and Barnes tied the score with a rebound and a layup off of a missed triple by Bronson Rodgers.
Six straight points by Mercer gave the visitors their largest lead of the night, 44-38, with 12:13 to play in regulation.
Neither team scored over the next two minutes, but it was Mercer that broke the scoreless drought with a layup and a trey to push their lead to double-digits at 49-38 with 9:24 remaining.
Dunlap’s put-back with 9:00 cut the deficit to single digits at 49-40.
A free throw by Nicole Morris narrowed the gap to eight points and on the ensuing Bears offensive possession, Johnson stole the ball and hustled down the court for the easy fast break layup with 7:48 to play.
With the Cajuns trailing 49-43, Mercer proceeded to go on a 7-0 run to take a 13-point lead with just over six minutes to play.
Green snapped the run with a layup and she cut the lead to just 58-47 with a contested jumper in the paint. Johnson cut the lead to single digits with a layup, but basket by Mercer gave the visitors a 60-49 advantage with 4:31 to play. Green once again cut the lead down to single digits as she connected on a pair of baskets from the charity stripe with 4:14 in regulation.
A triple by Clay made the score 69-60 with 26 seconds to play, but the Cajuns would move no closer and dropped their third game of the season.
The Ragin’ Cajuns women’s basketball will return to historic Earl K. Long Gym on Sunday afternoon to close out their three-game home stand with a game against in-state rival Centenary. Tip-off is slated for 2:00 p.m.
RaginCajuns.com
Cajun Women Lose to Mercer Lady Bears
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