Cajuns Top Middle Tennessee To Complete Perfect Road Swing
Louisiana improves to 4-0 on the road in Sun Belt play
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team capped off a three-game road trip with its third win in as many tries, posting a 74-64 victory over Middle Tennessee here Saturday at the Murphy Center.
Laurie Bridges, who had a quiet first half with no points, scored all 12 of his points in the second half including nine of the Cajuns final 12 points as Louisiana-Lafayette extended its season-long win streak to five games and finished its current road trip 3-0.
After the Cajuns had built up a 12-point lead halfway through the second half, MT would rally to close the gap to four at 62-58 with 3:25 left to play.
Bridges would then nail a crucial three-pointer at the 2:32 mark to stretch the lead to 65-58.
From that point, the Cajuns defense clamped down and Bridges made six consecutive free throws to help the Cajuns open a 71-62 lead with 52 seconds left.
The Blue Raiders were within eight points, 72-64, with 36 seconds left to play.
MT came down the floor with an attempt to close the gap, but Dwayne Mitchell swatted away a three-point attempt from MT's Mike Dean and Brian Hamilton converted two freebies on the other end for the Cajuns to seal the victory.
With the win, UL (11-5, 6-1 Sun Belt) remained undefeated on the road in Sun Belt play at 4-0.
It also marked the first win by a road team in the series since MT joined the Sun Belt in 2000-01.
Middle Tennessee (11-8, 3-3 Sun Belt) lost its third straight league game at the Murphy Center and second straight overall.
Two nights removed from allowing 102 points and 59 percent field goal percentage to Western Kentucky, the Cajuns defense rebounded by holding the Blue Raiders to 34 percent shooting (22-of-64) which included just 5-of-20 from three-point range.
Orien Greene paced the Cajuns with 13 points and finished tied with Hamilton for team honors in rebounding with seven boards. Hamilton scored 10 to give UL three scorers in double-figures.
Tommy Gunn led MT and all scorers with a game-high 16 points.
UL had eight players each score at least six points.
The Cajuns shot 55 percent in the second half (12-of-22) and ended the game making 22-of-27 free throws.
The Cajuns led 32-26 at the half, but saw that lead evaporate after MT opened the second half with a 7-0 run to take a 33-32 lead.
With the game tied 36-36 at the 17:15 mark, Bridges scored his first three points of the game on a three-point basket at 16:31 to put the Cajuns on top 39-36 - a lead they would not relinquish.
Leading 49-44 with 12 minutes remaining, Boyd worked his way around a screen and nailed a three-pointer at the top of the key.
On the Blue Raiders next possession Mitchell blocked a shot by Bryan Smithson. Immediately after the block, MT head coach Kermit Davis was hit with a technical foul.
Boyd would then hit two free throws to give the Cajuns their first double-digit advantage of the game 54-44. The two freebies moved Boyd to 999 points in his career - just one away from joining the 1,000-point club.
Boyd would then come up with a steal on the ensuing possession and Mitchell added the exclamation point with a tomahawk slam for a 56-44 lead.
MT would crawl back into the contest as the Cajuns went six straight possessions without a basket. The Blue Raiders used a 5-0 run to pull within seven points.
The closest MT would get was three points, 61-58, with 3:41 left.
The Cajuns jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead just over a minute into the contest.
Antoine Landry hit a three-pointer on the left wing at 19:30 to open the scoring. After a missed shot on the Blue Raiders first possession, Boyd found Hamilton in transition down the floor for an easy slam.
Davis opted for a quick timeout to adjust his team's defensive strategy.
Louisiana jumped out to a 12-5 lead at the 14:24 mark after a pair of free throws by Hamilton.
MT would then reel off five unanswered to cut the Cajuns lead to 12-10.
During that stretch the Cajuns were lulled in a field goal drought that lasted over seven minutes.
Cedric Williams ended the drought with a layup off a feed from Boyd to give the Cajuns a 14-10 lead. Prior to Williams' bucket the Cajuns last field goal came at 16:58 on a putback by Chris Cameron that gave UL a 10-5 lead.
Both defenses were effective resulting in a low-scoring game and shooting percentages below 40 percent on both sides.
Following Williams' basket the Blue Raiders would tie the game at 14-14 with baskets from Steven Jackson and Gunn.
Greene answered for the Cajuns with his first three-pointer of the night to make it 17-14 at the 6:07 mark. MT answered with a three-pointer from Marcus Robinson.
After both teams traded baskets for a 19-19 game with 4:34 left to play before the half, Jackson, who was fouled on a basket to tie the game, converted the free throw and the three-point play to give MT its first lead of the game 20-19.
Louisiana would then use a 7-1 run to pull out in front 26-21 with 2:15 left to go before the half.
MT would cut the margin to three points on the next trip down the floor on a basket by Jackson. The Cajuns responded with a 6-1 run for a 32-24 lead with 31 seconds left.
MT ended the half with Mike Dean banking a shot off the glass with three ticks left to trim the Cajuns lead to 32-26 at the break.
Both teams were 10-of-27 from the floor (37 percent) in the opening half. Both defenses created 10 turnovers and each squad had six steals.
LOUISIANA SI
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