Lady Cajuns WIN
Lyndra Bell scored a career-high 18 points and three other Cajuns reached double figures as Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team snapped a 21-game losing streak in the Sun Belt with an 80-78 win over North Texas at Earl K. Long Gym on Wednesday.
The last win over a conference opponent during the regular season was on March 1, 2008. On that date the Cajuns beat Denver 66-44 in Lafayette, La.
Louisiana now sits at 5-10 on the year and 1-3 in Sun Belt play. North Texas falls to 4-12 and 1-4 in the league.
The game opened with Cajuns taking the lead on a 7-3 run. The Mean Green would eventually tie the game up a 7-7 with 15:31 remaining. The lead would change six times and be tied six more times before UL took a 27-26 lead at the 7:09 mark. But the Mean Green would eventually take a 39-33 lead into the half.
Both teams struggled to maintain ball control, combining for 28 turnovers. The Cajuns had a 15 of their own and North Texas was able to take advantage scoring 13 points in transition.
The Mean Green was also successful from the floor, hitting 18-of-30 field goals (60 percent). The Cajuns shot 37.9 percent in the first frame (11-29) and failed to convert a field goal in the final five minutes. UL also shot a meager 64.7 percent (11-17) from the charity stripe in the first frame.
North Texas was able to build up a 10-point lead, 47-37, to start the second half. But UL was able to come storming back to narrow the gap to trail by just two points, 50-52 with 12:00 remaining.
At the 7:06 mark, the Cajuns would grab a 61-60 lead, stretching it to nine points, 71-62, with 4:23 left.
North Texas would rattle off a 12-4 run to pull within one point before a three-point basket by Nicole Morris would give the Cajuns a 76-72 edge with 1:26 left on the clock.
The Mean Green would convert a three-point play to pull with one point before Alexis Green hit a jumper to give the Cajuns a small cushion at 78-75 with less than a minute remaining.
North Texas would hit two-of-three free throws to bring the score back to one point, 77-78. But UL answered with its own pair of chip shots by Nicole Morris to regain a three-point margin at 80-77 with 0:15 remaining.
The Mean Green would be forced to foul after hitting one of two free throws with :02 left in the contest. The Cajuns would miss both shots but North Texas was unable to make a half court shot, sealing the Cajuns first league win since 2008.
The Cajuns shooting improved in the second half hitting 58.1 percent (18-31). The also just turned the ball over nine times in the second frame compared to the 15 they committed to open the game. North Texas won the battle of the boards, 34-33
Bell added four rebounds to cap off her career-best 18 points. Jasmine Barnes added 18 points, five assists and seven rebounds. All of her rebounds came off the offensive glass. Mercedes Johnson chipped in 15 points and eight rebounds with Nicole Morris scoring a season-high of 14.
Next up for the Cajuns will be the 1,000th game for the UL women's basketball program. The Cajuns will travel to Savannah, Ga. to take on Savannah State at 1:00 p.m. CT.
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