2003-04 Lady Cajun's Basketball

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — The Lady Cajuns of Louisiana have been climbing mountains all season, and scaled another one here Saturday night.

The Ragin’ Cajuns had never beaten Florida International in the program’s history, were coming off their most disheartening loss of the year 48 hours earlier, had a banged-up point guard and had to play the final 9:19 without the Sun Belt Conference’s leading scorer and rebounder.

That made the 58-48 victory over the Golden Panthers even sweeter to Cajun coach J. Kelley Hall.

“This was a very good team,” Hall said of FIU, “and for us to come back after the way we played Thursday was huge. It’s going to take seven or eight wins to get into the tournament, and this was one we didn’t need to give away.”

All Hall had to do was turn to senior guard Sharee Glenn, who had 10 points in the first half on the way to a team-high 18. Glenn, who was only 1-for-7 from the field in the Cajuns’ 59-44 loss at New Mexico State Thursday, also had the game’s biggest basket with her jumper in the lane providing a 54-48 edge with 2:51 left.

“I needed to come out and play well, get the ball more,” said Glenn, who hit six of her nine shots including a late three-pointer. “I know I can score if I have to, but I have to slow down and play my game.”

FIU head coach Cindy Russo didn’t see Glenn slow down at all.

The rest of the story

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — Now, it gets interesting.

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns are enjoying impressive seasons in both men’s and women’s basketball, with the Cajuns co-leaders in the Sun Belt Conference Western Division and the women tied atop their group, as well.

This week will help determine just how far the two campaigns will advance, however, as stiff competition looms on the horizon.

Coach Jessie Evans, whose team powered past Florida International 78-58 on the road last Saturday in Miami to improve to 4-1 in Sun Belt play and 9-5 overall, takes the Cajuns back on the road at Western Kentucky on Thursday and Middle Tennessee on Saturday.

WKU and Middle met in the 2003 Sun Belt Tournament finals last season, with the Hilltoppers earning an NCAA Tournament bid with a 64-52 victory, so this week gives the Cajuns a chance to measure themselves against the Sun Belt’s best from a year ago.

Cajun women’s coach J. Kelley Hall notched a first in the program’s history with Saturday’s eye-opening 58-48 victory over Florida International at Earl K. Long Gym, a win that vaulted his team to 9-7 overall and 3-2 in league action.

Like the men, Louisiana's Lady Cajuns will play WKU and Middle Tennessee this week. Also like the men, those two programs played in the Sun Belt Tournament championship game in 2003, with the Lady Toppers emerging triumphant.

One big difference for Hall is that his tests this week are at home — WKU at 7 p.m. on Thursday and Middle Tennessee at 2 p.m. on Saturday — in Long Gym.

There’s not a women’s coach in the Sun Belt who likes bringing her team into the echo chamber on the UL campus, as Denver’s Pam Tanner and FIU’s Cindy Russo can attest. UNO’s Joey Favaloro wasn’t fond of losing by 19 here, either, although that contest was in a Cajundome doubleheader with the men.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — When the 2003-2004 season began, Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball teams had little to fear from Louisiana.

How else are you supposed to feel about a program still waiting for its first victory in Sun Belt Tournament play?

But that perception is slowly changing.

Coach J. Kelley Hall’s Cajuns surprised Florida International 58-48 last Saturday, improving to 9-7 overall and 3-2 in SBC action. It was the first time in history the Cajuns had bested FIU.

“Coming into the season, I think there were some teams that overlooked us,” Hall said. “Now I think they’re paying more attention to us.”

Junior center Anna Petrakova has commanded most of the attention for the Cajuns, with a pair of Player of the Week notices in the Sun Belt and one among Louisiana colleges.

Petrakova averages 19.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game and is the focal point of everything UL does on offense, and yet the Cajuns posted their historic victory last weekend despite her fouling out with 9 minutes remaining.

“It was huge for us to show that we can play well without Anna,” Hall said. “I’ve seen coaches call two timeouts between a (key) player getting a third and fourth foul, but I’ve seen a lot of teams squander a lead between that third and fourth foul.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

The Streak is Over: Cajuns Defeat Western Kentucky 80-72

LOUISIANA LA. - Louisiana's Lady Cajuns ended a 21-year, 26-game losing streak to Western Kentucky with an 80-72 win over the Lady Toppers on Thursday night in Lafayette.

The Lady Cajuns first win over the Lady Toppers in school history helps UL to a 10-7 (4-2) mark, while WKU falls to 9-10 (3-2).

True freshman Morgan Mayon, by her own admittance, hit the biggest shot of her career. With WKU down four, but surging, Mayon hit a long, arched three-pointer as the shot clock expired to give the Lady Cajuns a 75-68 lead at the 1:00 mark.

From there, Mayon and Sharee Glenn would add two free throws apiece and Anna Petrakova another to hold off the Lady Toppers.

Petrakova led all players with 23 points. The junior center added nine rebounds and a career high seven blocks and six assists. Glenn and Bernette Tolston each added 15 points. Tiffany Washington contributed 11 points and eight rebounds.

Tied at the half, the Cajuns started the second frame with a 13-4 jaunt led by two triples from Tolston, two baskets from Petrakova and a three-point play by Glenn.

As quickly as the Cajuns stormed out in front, the Lady Toppers came back quicker to take the lead. Down nine points, WKU used a 13-3 spurt in 3:02 to grab their first lead of the second half.

After four from the stripe by Leslie Logsdon, the Cajuns used a 9-0 run to take a 62-57 lead. Tolston buried a three before Glenn made two baskets around two free throws by Petrakova.

The Lady Toppers closed the gap to two-points, but UL Lafayette responded with terrific defense and six unanswered points to take a 68-60 lead with 4:31 remaining.

Petrakova scored four points on the run and added to her total with two more free throws with 2:49 to play, giving the Cajuns a 72-64 lead.

A free throw by Logsdon, before a three-point play by Camryn Whitaker closed WKU to 72-68 with 1:32 on the clock, setting-up Mayon's three-pointer.

Despite allowing 72 points, the Cajuns held WKU to 38.5 percent shooting and only four three-pointers. UL Lafayette shot 52.8 percent and made nine of 20 three-point shots. The Cajuns had more total rebounds, 39-30, blocks, 8-1, and assists 16-11.

A 10-0 run by WKU helped the visitors jettison to an 18-7 lead just 4:30 into the contest. The game turned into a long-range contest for the next
three minutes.

A triple by Alexandra Kotta stopped the WKU run. Whitaker answered for the Lady Toppers only to see another from long range shot by Kotta. Logsdon hit a three, before Tolston responded for the Cajuns.

A basket from Washington preceded more from long distance by Kotta and Tolston. The two three-pointers pulled the Cajuns within four, 28-24, with 8:10 left in the first half.

The Cajuns burst continued. After two from the stripe by Logsdon, a 10-2 run helped UL Lafayette take a 34-32 lead with 3:36 remaining.

Two baskets each by Washington and Petrakova, as well as a jumper by Ashley Blanche contributed to the run.

WKU came back to grab a 36-34 edge, but Washington's bucket at 1:45 was the final of the half to pull the teams even.

LOUISIANA SI

[lcitsh]

Although the mens' victory is important, this is BY FAR, way more important. This is a combination of the rest of the Sun Belt coming back to the pack and the tremendous effort of J. Kelley Hall, Bill Damuth, Rosalynn Landes and the Lady Cajun basketball team to rise to the level of the teams in this conference. This is the type of game you point to and say "This is a foundation game in the legitimizing of our program." This is what we will point to when we say that we have turned the corner in building our program in to one that can contend in this conference. We still have a long way to go and much to prove, but this one is sweet like you cannot imagine. I am so proud of this team. Get on board, people. Be at Earl K. Long Gym this Saturday afternoon 2:00 and support these women. They deserve it.

[RedBug58]

Congrats Lady Cajuns





You Have Arrived!!

[CajunNation]

Coach Hall is taking away one of the last excuses other conferences use in puting us down. Great job ladies. First place in the conference.

Coach Bustle, your turn.

[Oldman]

i attended the basketball game last night and watched a much improved lady cajun team, coach Kelly is doing a very good job, the only dissapointment was, there were hardly any students there, i mean, it's not like the team isn't doing well because they are.....and maybe the university needs to do a better job promoting, after all they are NOW ( i think) tied for 1st place in the conference. If you haven't seen them yet, be there saturday and see for yourself. "GEAUX CAJUNS."

[NewsCopy]

Cajun women stun Western Kentucky

LOUISIANA La. — Admittedly, it’s a short list, but Thursday night’s 80-72 victory over Western Kentucky was easily the biggest victory in the history of UL women’s basketball.

WKU’s Lady Toppers strolled into Earl K. Long Gym as defending Sun Belt Conference champions and owners of a 26-0 series domination of the Ragin’ Cajuns.

“In warmups, they were joking around,” Cajun junior Anna Petrakova said. “They didn’t have their game face on. That made us mad. You could tell they didn’t respect us.”

Petrakova was double-teamed each time she touched the ball, but led all scorers with 23 points, pulled down 9 rebounds, blocked 7 shots and dished off 6 assists.

Paired with Tiffany Washington (11 points, 8 rebounds), Petrakova powered an inside game that saw UL out-rebound the surprised visitors 39-30.

“We knew they had a good 1-2-3,” Cajun coach J. Kelley Hall said of WKU’s perimeter. “But I felt we were far superior in the post. Anna and Tiffany had 34 points and 17 rebounds.

“Bernette Tolston and Sharee Glenn (15 each on a combined 10-of-17 shooting) also came up big.”

Hall’s squad forged a 36-36 halftime tie and then surged to a 51-43 lead early in the second half. That earned the attention of WKU coach Mary Taylor Cowles, who lit into her team during a time out and inspired a 14-4 run to a 57-52 lead.

Tolston nailed a 3-pointer and Glenn hit a jumper to get even again to set up a tense stretch run.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[DaddyCajun]

Nelson better get on to extending coaches contract and FIND money to keep him for a while!!!!!

DaddyCajun!!!!

[1stTake]

I just might have to check out the Ladies.

[CajunFanatic91]

I am impressed. They also played very strong against South Alabama. Maybe, just maybe the Ragin' and Lady Cajuns will go dancing.

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana hopes to beat third straight team for the first time ever

LOUISIANA La. — With each step Louisiana’s Lady Cajuns take, the more confident they become.

How could they help it?

In the last week, Coach J. Kelley Hall’s Cajuns have back-to-back victories over two teams — Florida International and Western Kentucky — that the school had never beaten before.

“First, we had to teach them how not to lose,” Hall said. “And now, once you teach them how to win, it’s contagious.”

The Cajuns’ latest victory, Thursday’s 80-72 conquest of defending Sun Belt Conference champion WKU, will be followed at 2 p.m. today by a visit from Middle Tennessee, the team WKU beat in the SBC finals a year ago.

It’s the latest challenge for a team that’s getting used to slaying dragons of their past.

“We’re just not going to give up, even when we’re down,” said senior guard Sharee Glenn, who had 15 points on Thursday.

The Cajuns (10-7, 4-2) shot 52.8 percent against the Lady Toppers, including 56.5 percent in the second half, and won despite being harassed into 23 turnovers by the defensive-minded visitors.

They won even after WKU overcame a 51-43 second-half deficit and ran to a 57-52 lead.

They won because they’re starting to believe they can, and more importantly, that they should.

“Down the stretch,” Hall said, “the kids just hung in there and played tough. And, they hit the big baskets when they had to.”

None was bigger than the 3-pointer from Morgan Mayon, beating a shot clock buzzer, to extend a UL lead from 72-68 to 75-68 with 1:01 to play.

Mayon saw 15 minutes of action largely because starting point guard Ashley Blanche continues to have back spasms, and Mayon eventually dealt with WKU’s swarming defense.

“There’s not a lot of pressure on me because Ashley believes in me,” Mayon said. “She talks to me and helps me do what I have to do.”

The Cajun upset sent up warning flags in the Sun Belt, certainly visible in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Coach Stephany Smith’s Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are coming off a narrow 52-51 escape at New Mexico State on Thursday, and they now know the stop in Lafayette is no longer the get-well spot in the league.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[RaginCager]

What happened with the Girls today?

[Turbine]

Originally posted by RaginCager
What happened with the Girls today?

They had a letdown but don't underestimate this team.

They are turning a HUGE corner