Ragin' Cajuns Fall in Regular Season Finale at UALR
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – UALR used a 13-0 run over a 1:52 span late in the first half to break open a back-and-forth contest and the hosts went on to defeat Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns 67-60 here Saturday evening at the Jack Stephens Center.
Randell Daigle brought Louisiana (10-19, 7-11 Sun Belt) within two points at 57-55 with 5:18 left to play. Like earlier in the second half, UALR (22-7, 15-3 Sun Belt) had answers. The Trojans used a 7-2 run to push their lead to 64-57 by 2:25.
Chris Gradnigo came off the bench and led Louisiana with a game-high 17 points. Daigle joined him in double figures with 10 and led UL with six rebounds.
UALR was led by John Fowler’s 17 points. Fowler scored 14 in the first half and was 10-of-13 from the charity stripe.
UALR went 27-of-34 from the free throw line compared to only 8-of-12 for the Cajuns. Louisiana did shoot 42.6 percent (23-of-54) on the Sun Belt’s best field goal percentage defense and held UALR to 40.9 percent (18-of-44).
With the win, UALR extended its series win streak over Louisiana to five straight games and swept the season series for the second straight season.
The Ragin’ Cajuns will next compete in the first round of the 2009 Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Wednesday, March 4 at the CAJUNDOME. Louisiana will host FIU at 7:30 p.m. The UL-FIU winner will meet WKU on Sunday, March 8 in the tournament quarterfinals in Hot Springs, Ark.
The Ragin’ Cajuns first four possessions resulted in two missed field goals and two turnovers and as a result the team was scoreless and fell behind 4-0 in the first 2:10. UL came back with scores on two straight possessions to pull even at 4-all.
Matt Mouzy’s first trey of the contest at 15:54 put the Trojans back in front. His second trey found the bottom of the net at 12:04 and extended the hosts lead to 14-6.
Louisiana worked the deficit down to three points on two straight possessions. Tyren Johnson hit a jumper out on the right wing at 10:11 and after a Mike Smith turnover, Ryan McCoy hit a leaner in the lane at 9:37 and it was 16-13.
UL kept the margin at three of four points before Curtis Jackson gave UALR a little breathing room with a three-point make at 7:37 which upped the lead to 22-16.
UL got the deficit to one thanks to a personal five-point run by Gradnigo. Gradnigo scored a scoop shot at 3:56 to trim the deficit to 26-25. Fowler answered for UALR with a trey on the right wing at 3:37 and after a UL turnover it was Shane Edwards with a slam dunk that brought the advantage back to six points.
Consecutive three-point plays for the Trojans – one by Fowler at 2:38 and another by LaMarvon Jackson at 1:45 – moved the UALR lead into double figures at 39-25.
Louisiana scored six of the first 10 points in the second stanza and closed the UALR lead to 43-36 at 17:00.
UL’s defense continued to disrupt UALR and that allowed the visitors to pull within six points, 44-38, on a floater by McCoy at 13:30. The Trojans ended a 5:47 field goal drought when Edwards dunked the ball after an offensive board and it was 46-38 with 12:03 remaining.
The Cajuns kept creeping within six points and even five, 50-45, when McCoy hit a triple at 8:50. However, every Louisiana basket was answered by UALR scores which kept the visitors at arms length.
Louisiana wouldn’t go away. Trailing by nine (56-47), Gradnigo made two freebies at 6:37 and after a steal by Daigle the ball was swung around to Bureau who buried a three-pointer at 6:06 to cut the UALR lead to 56-52.
When Daigle connected on a three-pointer at 5:18, the UALR lead was trimmed to 57-55. The Cajuns would then miss their next two field goal attempts and UALR cashed in with points on two touches to push the lead back to six points, 61-55.
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