Exhibition: Turnovers Prove Costly to Lady Cajuns
LOUISIANA La. - After holding their own and forging a 31-31 tie in the first half, Louisiana’s Lady Cajuns committed 30 turnovers and shot just 42 percent from the free throw line, en route to a 90-58 loss to Everyone’s Internet at the Cajundome.
Reigning 2004 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Anna Petrakova led the Cajuns with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Three members of Everyone’s Internet scored at least 20 points, including Kesha Watson who led all scorers with 24 points. Toccara Williams added 21 points, while Keila Beachem added 20.
EV1 began the second half right where it left off the first, opening with a 10-2 run, taking a 41-33 lead. Williams and Felicia Ragland each added four points during the scoring spurt.
From there, EV1 would capitalize on 15 second-half Cajun turnovers and 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc to subdue the Cajuns.
The Cajuns shot just 1-of-4 from three-point range in the second half, after hitting 5-of-11 in the opening period.
EV1 shot 50 percent from the field as a team, going 35-of-70, while shooting 47 percent (8-of-17) from behind the arc.
EV1 opened the first half on a 5-0 run. UL Lafayette didn’t score its first basket until the 16:05 mark, when Ashley Blanche sliced through the lane for a lay-up. The Cajuns from there built a 10-0 scoring run, highlighted by three-pointers from both Petrakova and Bernie Tolston.
The Cajuns held EV1 scoreless for a little over four minutes, when the exhibition squad responded with a trio of baskets to retake the lead 12-10.
Blanche would score five of the Cajuns’ next seven points, leading UL back in front 17-14. Petrakova added another bucket on the scoring run.
Junior college transfer Melissa Bratton added a free throw to increase the Cajuns’ lead to 18-14. EV1 responded with an 11-1 run that started on a Kesha Watson three-pointer from the corner to retake the lead 25-19.
The Cajuns’ three-minute scoring draught ended when Alicia McDaniel hit the front side of a pair of free throws. On UL Lafayette’s next trip down the court, Sonora Edwards banked in a shot from the low post to cut EV1’s lead to 25-21.
Petrakova added her second triple of the evening, followed by Tolston to help the Cajuns retake the lead. A fast break lay-up by Blanche helped extend the Cajuns’ lead to 29-25, capping an 8-0 run.
EV1 closed the half with a 6-2 run, knotting the halftime score at 31-31.
Petrakova led the Cajuns offensively in the half, going 4-of-10 from the field, including 2-of-4 behind the arc, with 10 points and 10 boards. Blanche added nine, while Tolston added six.
Louisiana will host the Jackson Babes Saturday in a 7 p.m. tip-off at Earl K. Long Gym in its final preseason tune-up.
LOUISIANA SI
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