Louisiana 94 Denver 74 (Ragin' Cajuns)

[Turbine]

What a difference the Dome makes. Geaux Cajuns.

The first time we barely beat Denver on the road and then came home only to lose at home to South Alabama. This time around we follow a Denver win with a road trip to South AL, a very tough test.

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — This time, the Ragin’ Cajuns needed no last-second shot.

Louisiana, which escaped Denver 83-81 in its Sun Belt Conference opener on an Antoine Landry jump shot, decided things much earlier Saturday night before 6,208 fans in the Cajundome.

Coach Jessie Evans’ squad surged late in the first half to a 47-35 lead at the break and went on to rout the Pioneers 94-74 to assure mastery of the SBC Western Division with a 13-5, 8-1 record.

“We were a lot more intense tonight,” said senior Brad Boyd, who nailed 5-of-6 3-pointers and had 15 points. “The crowd was larger, and we weren’t playing in a high school gym like Denver has, where the court is a lot smaller.

“They were calling a lot of ticky-tack fouls up there, too. We’re a more aggressive, physical team than Denver likes.”

That style showed late in the first half, and especially in the second as the Cajuns took control.

A stuff from Yemi Nicholson put Denver ahead 27-25 with 5:26 left before the break, but Boyd drained a trey from the right corner at 4:24 and the Cajuns never trailed again.

UL went on a 22-8 spree at that point, including 14-3 at the end, for that 12-point bulge. Then Boyd lofted a pair of 3-point bombs to open the second half, making it a quick 53-35 and letting the Pioneers know it was going to be a long evening.

“Obviously, the first 5 minutes of the second half are critical,” said Denver coach Terry Carroll, whose squad fell to 13-8, 5-4. “It went from 12 points to 18 in two possessions, and there’s a lot of difference psychologically between trailing by 12 points and being down 18.

“Give them credit. They saw the chance to take control, and they did.”

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com