Cajuns Cruise Past Valparaiso In Fiesta Bowl Classic Opener
Louisiana earns first road win of the season and advances to title game on Tuesday
TUCSON, Ariz. - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns ventured out to the 19th annual Bank One Fiesta Bowl Classic looking for a better showing than their first appearance three seasons ago.
After the opening round contest against Valparaiso here Sunday afternoon at the McKale Center, the Ragin' Cajuns wasted no time making a statement and got off on the right foot toward accomplishing their goal.
Sparked by a 62 percent shooting performance in the opening half and a stifling defense, the Cajuns raced out to a double-digit halftime lead and never looked back in handing Valpo its worst loss of the season with a 95-71 victory.
It was a far contrast from the 2000 visit in which the Cajuns came up 0-2 with a pair of double-digit losses to Mississippi State and Butler.
With the win UL (4-3) advances to Tuesday's championship game at 8:30 p.m. (CT) against Arizona the winner of Sunday's second game which featured Arizona and Liberty.
The loss sends Valparaiso (2-6) into Tuesday's consolation game against the Arizona-Liberty loser at 6 p.m. (CT).
Sunday's win also marked the first road win of the season for the Cajuns and advanced them into an in-season tournament championship game for the fourth time under head coach Jessie Evans.
Louisiana placed five players in double-digits scoring led by a career-high 23 from Cedric Williams. Brian Hamilton also scored a career-high tallying 17 points. Brad Boyd had 17, Dwayne Mitchell 15 and Laurie Bridges 12.
Antoine Landry turned in a career-high seven assists and was tied for the team-high honor with Laurie Bridges. Williams pulled down a team-best eight boards.
The Cajuns shot 51 percent for the game (33-of-65) and made 25-of-35 free throw attempts including a 17-of-21 tally in the second half.
UL forced 21 turnovers from the Crusaders while committing just 10. The Cajuns had just two turnovers in the second half.
Joaquim Gomes scored a team-high 17 for Valpo. Dan Oppland tallied 14 joining Gomes in double-figures.
The Cajuns made their first five field goals and limited Valpo to just one in the first four minutes en route to a 15-4 lead at the first media timeout.
UL opened a 5-0 lead by the 18:48 mark of the opening half.
Boyd, fouled on a three-point attempt, made one-of-three attempts to give the Cajuns a 1-0 lead. Boyd's freebie gave the Cajuns the first lead of the game - one it would not relinquish leading from start-to-finish.
Baskets by Bridges and Hamilton on the next two possessions gave the Cajuns the five-point advantage.
The Crusaders got a pair of free throws from Ron Howard to notch their first two points of the contest and make it 5-2 at the 18:14 mark.
The Cajuns then scored seven unanswered points to claim their first double-digit lead of the game. A Boyd three-pointer followed by a jumper from Landry and a pair of freebies by Boyd were the catalyst.
Gomes knocked down his first three-pointer of the contest following the media timeout to pull Valpo within eight, 15-7. Bridges kissed a shot off the glass on the ensuing possession to put the Cajuns lead back into double-digits.
After a slam by Hamilton on the next Cajuns possession, Gomes made his second three-pointer of the game and the season to cut the lead to 19-10 with 13:42 left before the half - marking the last time that Valpo would be within single-digits the rest of the game.
Hamilton answered for the Cajuns with a layup on a feed from Dwayne Mitchell to put the Cajuns lead back into double-figures at 21-10.
That was the beginning of a 6-0 run that stretched Louisiana's lead to 25-10 with 12:29 remaining in the first half.
Louisiana's lead would reach as many as 18 before the break. A Cedric Williams spin-move in the lane put the Cajuns on top 36-18 at the 8:24 mark.
Valpo would then end the half on an 18-11 run to trim the deficit to 11 points at the half, 47-36. The Crusaders would pull within 10 at 44-34 but could get no closer.
The second half began much the same as the first with Boyd being fouled on a three-point attempt at the 19:17 mark. This time Boyd would make all three freebies to increase the Cajuns lead to 50-36.
Later in the half the Crusaders would cut the lead to 12 points at 73-61 on a layup by Dan Oppland.
Williams followed that with a pair of free throws that opened a 22-10 run to end the game for the Cajuns.
Williams' free throws were the first two points of a 20-3 spurt which increased the Cajuns lead to 93-64 - the largest of the game.
LOUISIANA SI
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