2003-04 Lady Cajun's Basketball

[Turner]

Does anyone know if Ragin' Cajuns won? I'm asking about the women Ragin' Cajuns basketball team.

[RaisingCajun08]

Yes the women's team did win. 80-57

[Crawfish]

And they won again today against UTPA. Can't remember the score, but it was a 4-5 point game. Cajun women had a big lead at halftime but got really tired in the 2nd half.

[NewsCopy]

Weary squad hits the wall, but still tops visiting UTPA


LOUISIANA La. — The wall that the University of Louisiana’s Lady Cajuns basketball team ran into was almost visible in the second half.

But, in contrast to Lady Cajun teams of the not-too-distant past, the home team found a way to hold on down the stretch and take its fourth straight win here Sunday afternoon.

The Lady Cajuns, leading by 21 points at halftime and 22 with 17 minutes left, struggled the rest of the way in a 62-54 win over Texas-Pan American in the second game of a four-game homestand.

The first of that home streak was barely 24 hours earlier, when the Louisiana squad played perhaps its most complete game of the year in an 80-57 win over Denver in their Sun Belt Conference opener Saturday afternoon.

The wear and tear of that emotional win showed throughout the second half Sunday after the Lady Cajuns had thoroughly dominated the first 20 minutes.

“We didn’t have any legs left,” said coach J. Kelley Hall. “Yesterday took a lot out of us. We didn’t have the spring to go get rebounds and to shoot the ball like we’re capable of.”

The Cajuns (7-5) outboarded Pan Am 24-13 in the first half, shot 48.4 from the field and held the Broncs to a 5-of-25 shooting performance on the way to a 37-16 edge.

The rest of the story

[Oldman]

shame on me, i haven't gotten to see the girls play. but i'm excited about what's happening, coach has really turn this team around, we need to get everyone behind them and show our support, early game thursday show up. "GEAUX CAJUNS>"

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — Junior center Anna Petrakova has stopped surprising opponents.

Now, she’s expected to be a standout every game for the Lady Cajuns of Louisiana.

Petrakova was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on Monday, repeating an honor she received on Dec. 16.

“That’s good,” UL coach J. Kelley Hall said. “She deserves it. She’ll be happy about that.”

UL won three games last week, running its winning streak to four, as Petrakova averaged 26.3 points (shooting 68% from the floor and 87% at the line), 12.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 1.7 steals and 1.7 assists per game.

In a 68-44 win against Lamar on Jan. 6, Petrakova finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks, a steal and an assist. In the Sun Belt Conference opener Saturday against Denver, Petrakova led the scoring with 28 points, while pulling down 12 boards en route to an 80-57 Cajun win.

Against Texas-Pan American on Sunday, the veteran chipped in 27 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals in a 62-54 win despite playing games on back-to-back days.

Petrakova has a string of four consecutive double-doubles and seven in the last eight games. Over that span, she has averaged 24.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — Bernette Tolston hates to miss a shot. Any shot.

So, when Unviersity of Louisiana coach J. Kelley Hall directs her to keep firing the ball towards the hoop even when she’s not having her best night, it’s a tough directive to follow.

“Coach tells me to shoot when I’m open,” Tolston said. “I know I need to, but if I’m having a bad night, I’m looking to pass. I don’t even try.

“I know I can shoot my way out of it.”

It’s a curious twist to find Tolston hesitant to use her natural skill with the basketball. She averaged 22 points per game as a senior at Lake Charles-Boston and is blessed with a smooth jumper the Cajuns have used well en route to a 7-5 start.

“I’ve always been a shooter,” Tolston said. “When I was little, before I could dribble I could shoot. That’s always what I did.”

To no one’s surprise, Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller was one of her first role models on the court.

“We mainly watched football at our house,” Tolston said, “but I liked Reggie Miller’s game.”

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — There’s home, and then there’s HOME.

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns often move practice to Bourgeois Hall or other locales to accommodate scheduling conflicts at the Cajundome, but this week they’ve had the luxury of practicing where they play.

“It’s unusual for us this time of year to have the opportunity to practice in the Dome,” coach Jessie Evans said. “We’ve utilized that this week.”

The 6-4 Cajuns open a three-game homestand at 7:05 p.m. today, sharing the Cajundome with the Cajun women in a doubleheader against South Alabama that begins at 4:45 p.m.

Evans’ squad seeks a 2-0 start to Sun Belt Conference play after rallying to nip Denver 83-81 on the road last Saturday.

Also, Saturday, USA squared its conference record at 1-1 with a 72-66 victory over visiting Western Kentucky to improve to 6-7 overall.

“They split two at home last week (losing to New Orleans, 64-58), and they’re coming off a win, so they feel pretty good about themselves,” Evans said of the Jaguars.

“They’ve always played us extremely tough in the Cajundome.”

Evans is 7-7 against USA since taking the Cajun job seven years ago, while last season’s split (93-89 USA win in Mobile; 67-60 Cajun win in the Dome) gave USA coach John Pelphrey his brief 1-1 mark against UL.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

...The Lady Cajuns (7-5) made history last weekend when they won their Sun Belt Conference opener for the first time.

If they can knock off South Alabama today at the Cajundome, they’ll made heads turn.

South Alabama won its 12th game in a row on Monday night, 66-65 at New Orleans. The Jaguars’ only loss was a one-point setback to Vanderbilt on a neutral court in Vermont.

“It would be a big step for us to beat South Alabama,” Cajun coach J. Kelley Hall said. “Coach (Rick) Pietri does a tremendous job with them.

“We’re the two best defensive teams in the conference. We both rebound and play defense, so it could come down to who shoots the ball better.”

South Alabama struggled with its marksmanship at UNO, hitting just 24-of-70 (34.3 percent) and 2-of-12 from behind the 3-point arc. But the Jaguars also held the Privateers to 37 percent from the field and out-rebounded their hosts 47-42.

It took a pair of Sara Carter free throws with 4 seconds remaining to rescue USA and keep its winning streak alive.

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[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — UL Lafayette’s women’s basketball squad played out of synch for 26 minutes against a team that hadn’t lost since mid-November, had more turnovers than a visiting South Alabama team that went 9-of-17 from three-point range, and didn’t get a perimeter basket from its top outside threat here Thursday night.

So, how were the Ragin’ Cajuns within two points in the last 90 seconds against the team generally regarded as the best in the Sun Belt Conference?

“We just played a heck of a second half,” said Cajun head coach J. Kelley Hall. “If only we hadn’t shot ourselves in the foot in the first half.”

The Lady Jags were there to take advantage early, taking as much as a 15-point lead, and then held on for dear life down the stretch in taking a 57-54 win at the Cajundome.

“We did just enough to win,” said USA boss Rick Pietri. “We had a good effort for 32 minutes, but the last eight we didn’t have any bounce and they (UL Lafayette) did.”

The Lady Jags (13-1, 2-0), now winners of 13 straight games and getting votes in this week’s AP poll, didn’t lock down their second league win until Tiffany Washington and Anna Petrakova missed back-to-back inside shots in the final 15 seconds and Bernette Tolston had a half-court heave fall short at the horn.

The misses were about the only things Petrakova and Washington did wrong in the last 14 minutes. Petrakova hit six of her eight shots in the second half on the way to a game-high 23, and Washington scored eight of her nine and got most of her 12 rebounds in that stretch.

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

[NewsCopy]

UL faces key Sun Belt game versus New Orleans.

LOUISIANA La. — For Louisiana’s Lady Cajuns basketball squad, the disappointment of a close Thursday loss to the Sun Belt Conference’s best squad has to be put aside in a hurry.

The Lady Cajuns, who had a four-game win streak snapped Thursday in a 57-54 loss to league-leading South Alabama, host New Orleans today at 4:45 p.m. in a game that could have long-range repercussions for both squads.

Only four of the six teams in the West Division qualify for the league’s post-season tournament this year, and coach J. Kelley Hall’s Cajun squad doesn’t need back-to-back home losses.

“Every game you can win early, you can bank away,” Hall said. “The key is to win your home games.”

The Lady Cajuns (7-6, 1-1) won their league opener over Denver before Thursday’s loss to South Alabama, and now they’ll host a team that lost by only one point to USA on Monday and crushed preseason West favorite New Mexico State 76-54 at home Thursday.

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

[NewsCopy]

Cajun women move to 8-6 after routing New Orleans

LOUISIANA La. - J. Kelley Hall made one thing clear on Saturday — his Louisiana squad had to jump on the New Orleans Privateers from the start and keep the pressure up all game.

By the time the Sun Belt Conference women’s game was over, the plan worked to perfection to produce a 68-49 Cajun victory at the Cajundome.

“I told them that the first five minutes of both halves were crucial for us,’’ said Hall, whose Cajuns improved to 8-6 overall and 2-1 in league action.

“However UNO’s press goes, that’s how their game goes. If you let them get going they could do it. But their pressure didn’t hurt us.’’

“They’re the type of team that will play harder and harder if they get off to a good start with their press,’’ Cajun guard Ashley Blanche said.

“It was important for us to get them down and keep them down.’’

Blanche was a pivotal figure in that effort, playing 34 minutes and finishing with 14 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and just a pair of turnovers.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — An extended 10-game road trip to open the season should start to pay dividends tonight for Louisiana's Lady Cajuns.

Coach J. Kelley Hall’s squad, which was 5-5 in that demanding start, brings an 8-6 overall record into the Pan American Center for an 8:05 p.m. (Central time) Sun Belt Conference matchup with New Mexico State.

The Aggies of coach Darin Spence are 7-8 overall and 1-2 in Sun Belt action, while the visitors are off to a 2-1 mark in league play.

“I’m familiar with him from junior college,” Hall said of Spence’s coaching style. “They will play us 40 minutes of man-to-man defense and will pressure us the whole game. They’re like South Alabama in that they’ll come with that pressure for the whole game.”

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[NewsCopy]

  

PLAYER             FG-FGA  (Pct.) FT-FTA (Pct.) TP AVG



Anna Petrakova     102-184 (.554) 69-83 (.831)  285 20.4



Tiffany Washington  45-101 (.446) 11-18 (.611)  107 9.7



Bernette Tolston    40-118 (.339)  6-8  (.750)  117 8.4



Sharee Glenn        32-111 (.288) 43-61 (.705)  115 8.2



Ashley Blanche      33-76  (.434) 24-40 (.600)   97 6.9



Morgan Mayon        20-43  (.465)  7-14 (.500)   52 3.7



Kayla Edwards        8-24  (.333)  2-2  (1.000)  25 2.8



Nakita Scott        13-24  (.542)  4-8  (.500)   30 2.7



Trina Johnson        5-9   (.556)  7-12 (.583)   17 2.4



Alexandra Kotta      8-39  (.205)  0-2  (.000)   17 2.1



Dominique Williams   0-2   (.000)  0-0  (.000)  0 0.0



TOTALS            306-731  (.419) 173-248 (.698) 862 61.6



OPPONENTS         288-838  (.344) 128-217 (.590) 775 55.4

3-Point FG: Tolston 31-91 (.341), Petrakova 12-27 (.444), Glenn 8-42 (.190), Blanche 7-19 (.368), Edwards 7-20 (.350), Washington 6-20 (.300), Mayon 5-15 (.333), Kotta 1-20 (.050), Williams 0-1 (.000). UL 77-255 (.302), OPPONENTS 71-231 (.307).

REBOUNDS: Petrakova 157 (11.2), Washington 97 (8.8), Tolston 69 (4.9), Glenn 61 (4.4), Blanche 29 (2.1), Mayon 23 (1.6), Kotta 17 (2.1), Scott 17 (1.5), Johnson 14 (2.0), Edwards 3 (0.3), Williams 2 (1.0). UL 552 (39.4), OPPONENTS 505 (36.1).

ASSISTS: Blanche 49, Glenn 42, Mayon 34, Petrakova 27, Tolston 10, Washington 9, Edwards 5, Johnson 3, Kotta 2. UL 181, OPPONENTS 152.

BLOCKED SHOTS: Petrakova 32, Washington 15, Scott 4, Johnson 4, Tolston 2, Glenn 1, Mayon 1, Kotta 1. UL 60, OPPONENTS 24.

STEALS: Petrakova 14, Blanche 11, Mayon 10, Glenn 10, Washington 9, Kotta 8, Tolston 6, Scott 3. UL 71, OPPONENTS 108.

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — The roller coaster that is Louisiana’s Lady Cajuns basketball team pulls back into the station for an extended stop beginning tonight.

The Lady Cajuns, coming off one of their best outings of the season last Saturday and one of their worst of the year Thursday night, host Florida International at 7 p.m. at Long Gym in the first of four straight home games.

It also opens an important stretch for a Cajun squad (8-7, 2-2) that is seeking consistency above all else. UL Lafayette is 2-1 at home in Sun Belt Conference play, with the only loss a last-minute 57-54 decision to West Division leader South Alabama.

However, the Lady Cajuns were embarrassed 59-44 at New Mexico State on Thursday in its first road game in league play.

“We have to get more mentally tough on the road,” said Cajun coach J. Kelley Hall. “We played defense well enough (at NMSU), but we just shot it horribly from the perimeter. New Mexico State took us out of everything we tried to do offensively,a nd we didn’t respond to their physical play.”

Louisiana can expect something similar from FIU (8-9, 2-2), which hasn’t played since a surprising 55-53 home loss to North Texas on Monday. The Golden Panthers lead the Sun Belt in rebounding and rank third in the league in field goal defense.

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com