RAGIN' CAJUNS WIN, break WKU win streak
CAJUNS END WESTERN KENTUCKY'S SUN BELT-RECORD HOME WIN STREAK
Louisiana-Lafayette shoots 64 percent from the field and snaps five-game losing streak to WKU
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Antoine Landry scored a career-high 27 points and Louisiana shot a season-high 64 percent as a team in posting a 110-102 victory over Western Kentucky here Thursday night at E.A. Diddle Arena.
Five other players joined Landry in double-figures scoring, marking the 12th straight game in which at least three players scored in double-digits, as Louisiana ended WKU's Sun Belt-record 29-game home conference win streak.
UL (10-5, 5-1 Sun Belt) ironically was the last Sun Belt teamto win a conference game at Diddle Arena on Jan. 29, 2000.
The win ended Western's five-game win streak in the series and coupled with a North Texas loss to New Orleans moved the Ragin' Cajuns into sole possession of first place in the Sun Belt West Division and the entire league.
The Cajuns also extended their season-high winning streak to four games.
With the loss, WKU fell to 8-10 overall and 3-4 in Sun Belt play losing its first home conference game in four years.
Brian Hamilton added a double-double for the Cajuns grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds and scoring a career-high 22 points.
WKU's Mike Winchester led the Toppers with a career-high 40 points on 15-of-21 shooting. Nigel Dixon and Mike Wells each posted a team-best six rebounds.
Louisiana-Lafayette shot above 60 percent in both halves including a 17-of-25 performance (68 percent) in the decisive second half.
The Cajuns made 13-of-20 three-point attempts (65 percent) with Landry and Brad Boyd each making five.
Both teams shot above 60 percent in the opening half en route to combining for 94 points at the break. Louisiana held a 49-45 advantage.
The Hilltoppers kept it close in the second half getting a three-pointer from Winchester in the left corner that cut the Cajuns lead to 56-54 at the 16:13 mark.
Louisiana-Lafayette would then outscore WKU 18-2 over the next four minutes to open its first double-digit lead of the game.
After Winchester's three-point basket, Hamilton converted the unconventional three-point play at 15:32 to give the Cajuns a 59-54 lead. Winchester would answer on the other end 20 seconds later to cut the lead to three.
Following Winchester's bucket UL would reel off 11 straight points to stretch its lead to a game-high 14 points at 70-56 with 12:44 left to play.
WKU made its own run after, scoring 10 straight to trim the lead to 70-66 with 10:31 left to play.
After the Toppers pulled within 72-68 at the 9:26 mark, Boyd came down the court and made a three-pointer. After the shot was made, WKU's Ryan Lambert was called for a foul under the basket. Brian Hamilton converted one of the two freebies to give the Cajuns a 76-68 lead.
Boyd would make three more critical three-pointers over the next three minutes.
His first extended the Cajuns lead to eight points after WKU closed to 78-73 on a three-pointer by Antonio Haynes at 8:09.
With the Cajuns up 83-75 and the shot clock at six seconds, Boyd would bank a 25-foot jumper from the top of the key to give UL an 86-75 edge.
After WKU cut the lead to seven points with baskets on the next two possessions, Boyd again was clutch for the Cajuns nailing a three-pointer at the 4:40 mark to push the Cajuns lead to 89-79.
From there the Cajuns won the battle at the free throw line. UL ended the game making 25-of-32 freebies.
WKU scored six points in the final 20 seconds to reach the century mark, marking the first time since Dec. 6, 1997 - a span of 191 games - that the Cajuns surrendered 100 points.
The Cajuns trailed by as many as eight in the opening half after WKU used a 12-0 run to turn an 11-7 deficit into a 19-11 lead with 13:11 left to play before the half.
UL ended the run with a jumper from Antoine Landry at the 12:15 mark. The Hilltoppers answered with a basket from Anthony Winchester on other end for a 21-13 lead.
Trailing 23-14 with 11:19 left to play before halftime, the Cajuns responded with a run of their own to tie the game. A Dwayne Mitchell slam off of an outlet pass from Chris Cameron on a fastbreak began a string of nine unanswered.
The lead changed hands 10 times in the first half with the majority of them coming after the Cajuns tied the game 23-23 with 9:47 left in the first half.
The final lead change of the half came at the 2:29 mark when Landry buried his third 3-point basket of the half to give Louisiana a 42-41 lead.
Louisiana-Lafayette would never trail again taking a four-point lead
into the half.
Newspaper Box Score
Louisiana vs Western Kentucky
01/29/04 7 pm at E.A. Diddle Arena, Bowling Green, Ky.
At E.A. Diddle Arena, Bowling Green, Ky.
LOUISIANA 110, WESTERN KENTUCKY 102
LOUISIANA (10-5, 5-1 SBC) Landry, Antoine 8-13 6-8 27; Hamilton, Brian 8-9 6-10 22; Boyd, Brad 5-8 4-4 19; Greene, Orien 4-7 1-2 11; Mitchell, Dwayne 4-8 2-2 10; Cameron, Chris 4-4 2-2 10; Williams, Cedric 1-3 4-4 6; Bridges, Laurie 2-4 0-0 5.
Totals 36-56 25-32 110.
WESTERN KENTUCKY (8-10, 3-4 SBC)
Winchester, Anthony 15-21 5-6 40; Wells, Mike 5-16 4-4 17; Haynes, Antonio 5-8 1-2 14; Lambert, Ryan 5-6 0-1 10; Dixon, Nigel 4-5 2-3 10; Pandov, Todor 3-6 1-2 7; Rumph, Danny 1-2 2-2 4; Hill, Nick 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 38-65 15-20 102.
Louisiana..................... 49 61 - 110
Western Kentucky.............. 45 57 - 102
3-point goals-
Louisiana 13-20 (Landry, Antoine 5-7; Boyd, Brad 5-8; Greene, Orien 2-3; Bridges, Laurie 1-2)
Western Kentucky 11-26 (Winchester, Anthony 5-9; Haynes, Antonio 3-6; Wells, Mike 3-8; Pandov, Todor 0-1; Rumph, Danny 0-1; Hill, Nick 0-1).
Fouled out
Louisiana - Greene, Orien,
Western Kentucky-Haynes, Antonio.
Rebounds-
Louisiana 26 (Hamilton, Brian 10),
Western Kentucky 27 (Dixon, Nigel 6; Wells, Mike 6)
Assists
Louisiana 19 (Mitchell, Dwayne 6),
Western Kentucky 16 (Rumph, Danny 6).
Total fouls
Louisiana 22,
Western Kentucky 27.
A-5106
LOUISIANA SI
Quote
Cajuns move into sole possesion of first-place in Sun Belt
