Final MBB: Louisiana 58, USA 63

[UL_Cajuns]

Coach Q Burned our last timeout with like what 2:30 to go in game. Should have never occurred. They trapped us at end and we had no timeouts to save our guys from the traps. Eitherway, we folded when we had a 4 point lead with a few min. left and went cold.

[Cajunsmike]

Coach Q Burned our last timeout with like what 2:30 to go in game. Should have never occurred. They trapped us at end and we had no timeouts to save our guys from the traps. Eitherway, we folded when we had a 4 point lead with a few min. left and went cold.

I think a player called one of the timeouts to prevent turning it over when trapped. The Cajuns once again failed to execute at crunch time. In previous games, guys started to play tight at about the four minute mark. Yesterday, it happened with less than 2 minutes to go. The optimist will say perhaps they are getting closer to reaching their potential from that observation. Still, the hardest point of becoming a good team is to play focused but loose when the game is on the line. Most coaches will tell you that. The 2 previous games they won in which they had wire to wire leads were nice but not indicative of the real progress needed. Once they win a close contest, they may gain true confidence and start being successful more consistently. Maybe that next step is taken on Saturday.

[Cajunsmike]

Evans should not have been in that game at the end which is a coaching mistake. He turns the ball over way too much and certainly should not have his hands on it 30 feet from the goal with the defense pressuring.

Lavergne stifled us late with some bad decisions and the turnover with Evans killed any chance we had.

Why Lewis was NOT in the game at the end I will never know. He played great all game and plays with better poise than most of our guys.

Lewis injured his knee late in the first half and had a wrap on it in the second half. He played few minutes in the second half and I don't think he scored. Perhaps the injury was a factor. Still, I understand the frustration with the Evans late turnover. If he holds the ball high for a couple of seconds he probably finds someone to pass to in the front court easily.

[IberiaCajun]

Tough one to lose.
The one-three-one half court trap was a good move by Riley.
Cajuns looked surprised. The moment looked a little too big for Evans. He passed the ball where he thought the guard was supposed to be. Why he wasn’t there I don’t know. They looked like they hadn’t practiced against that trap. At least, not with the guys they had on the court. Coach said postgame the coaching has to improve. Four point lead with 90 seconds to go.

[moorecajun]

I think a player called one of the timeouts to prevent turning it over when trapped. The Cajuns once again failed to execute at crunch time. In previous games, guys started to play tight at about the four minute mark. Yesterday, it happened with less than 2 minutes to go. The optimist will say perhaps they are getting closer to reaching their potential from that observation. Still, the hardest point of becoming a good team is to play focused but loose when the game is on the line. Most coaches will tell you that. The 2 previous games they won in which they had wire to wire leads were nice but not indicative of the real progress needed. Once they win a close contest, they may gain true confidence and start being successful more consistently. Maybe that next step is taken on Saturday.

Good point.

[zephyr]

Once again, the main point discrepancy in the loss was at the FT line. We just foul so much and give other teams that opportunity to get easy points while just not doing the same for ourselves.

[CajunVic]

Once again, the main point discrepancy in the loss was at the FT line. We just foul so much and give other teams that opportunity to get easy points while just not doing the same for ourselves.

you want us to foul ourselves . . .

[Cajunsmike]

Once again, the main point discrepancy in the loss was at the FT line. We just foul so much and give other teams that opportunity to get easy points while just not doing the same for ourselves.

We don't get the ball inside enough to draw substantial fouls. Of course, that was especially tough with the way USA executes their zone. Teams get reputations. We have the reputation of fouling a lot and not drawing contact. Opposing coaches remind refs of that so it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

[ZoomZoom]

We don't get the ball inside enough to draw substantial fouls.

Box score consistently shows this fact.

[zephyr]

you want us to foul ourselves . . .

Attack the basket. You're not exactly doing that when you are shooting 40 3 pointers.