Cajuns need to rebound to return to Sun Belt race
LOUISIANA La - Fasten your seat belts, Cajun basketball fans. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
Louisiana had the chance to get its Sun Belt Conference title defense off to a flying start Saturday night, but instead dropped a 72-66 decision to the Denver Pioneers before 4,523 fans at the Cajundome.
The Cajuns had won 10 straight contests at home, and generally consider themselves invincible in the Dome.
To be a consistent winner, at home or on the road, you have to play better than UL did on Saturday. Part of that is shooting better than 5-of-13 at the free throw line.
"(Going) 5-of-13, that's ridiculous," coach Robert Lee said. "If we continue to shoot free throws worse than Shaq (the NBA's Shaquille O'Neal), we have no chance."
Lee's 6-7 Cajuns got back to work bright and early at 6 a.m. on Sunday, trying to regain the winning touch in time for visits this week to Sun Belt rivals South Alabama and New Orleans.
Part of the problem is the absence of senior point guard Orien Greene, who was seated on the UL bench on Saturday in street clothes instead of matching up with Denver standout Rodney Billups.
Greene has been sidelined since breaking his leg against Kansas on Dec. 11. His return would be a plus, but can't be the whole story.
The rest of the story
Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com
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