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Thread: Lady Cajuns grab 1st WINNING SEASON in 17 years

  1. UL Basketball Lady Cajuns grab 1st WINNING SEASON in 17 years

    Louisiana shuts down North Texas 73-66. Petrakova breaks school's all-time blocks record during Saturday night's victory

    LOUISIANA La. - There's no place like home.

    Louisiana's Lady Cajuns basketball team was able to surmount a three-game Sun Belt Conference road losing streak with a 73-66 victory over the North Texas Mean Green here Saturday night at Earl K. Long Gym. The win extends the Cajuns' home winning streak to 12 games, dating back to Feb. 5, 2004, against, coincidently, North Texas.

    The win also moves the Cajuns (15-7, 5-4 Sun Belt) to within one game of West Division leader North Texas (11-10, 6-3 Sun Belt) and also assures the Cajuns of their first winning season since 1987-88 (18-11).

    Anna Petrakova led all scorers with 24 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. Junior forward Melissa Bratton added 17 points and six boards. Petrakova, a 74 percent free throw shooter entering Saturday's game, shot a dismal 3-for-7 from the charity stripe.

    Tiffany Washington was the other Cajuns player in double figures, adding 10 points.

    Similar to Thursday night's game at Denver, the Cajuns began the second half on a torrid pace. The Cajuns went on a 14-4 run to start the second half, extending their lead to 47-32 with 14:54 left in the game. Petrakova chipped in six points and Tiffany Washington four during the run.

    Similar to the Cajuns' second half start against Denver, the Mean Green responded, cutting the UL Lafayette lead to as little as seven, 58-51, with 6:26 remaining.

    However, it would be the closest the Mean Green would get until North Texas cut the Cajuns lead to six with 36 seconds left in the game.

    UL starting point guard Ashley Blanche made her return to the court, after sitting out Thursday night's game at Denver with a sore knee. Blanche chipped in six points - all free throws - while playing nearly three minutes late in the second half.

    For the second game in a row, a Cajuns opponent hit its first three point attempt of the night. North Texas freshman guard Amanda Quattrocchi hit a three pointer from the right side to give the visitors a quick 3-0 lead with 18:22 left in the first half.

    Sherita Anderson responded with a fade away jumper from the low post, and then Erika Bobo added a jumper to give the Mean Green a 5-2 advantage.

    Anna Petrakova hit a three pointer to tie the game at five with 16:17 left. From there, the Cajuns and the Mean Green exchanged a pair of baskets for the next 1:45, before Melissa Bratton hit a three pointer at the top of the key to give the Cajuns a 12-9 lead with 14:32 remaining.

    With 12:16 remaining in the opening half, Petrakova etched her name atop the school's all-time blocks list with her first block of the night. Petrakova passed former Cajuns forward Sarah Richey, who previously held the school record with 163 rejections.

    North Texas responded with a 7-0 run in 1:38 to regain the lead, 16-12, with 12:54 left to play. The Cajuns regained their three-point lead, 21-18, with 8:27 remaining in the first half after a 9-2 run.

    Following the third media timeout, the Cajuns were able to extend their lead to five, 27-22, following back-to-back baskets on the low post by Petrakova. North Texas' DiDi Wali chipped into the Cajuns lead, 27-24, but Bratton built the Cajuns lead back to five, 29-24, with a running jumper in the lane.

    The Mean Green cut the Cajuns' lead to one, 29-28, with 2:27 remaining the half, thanks to baskets from Talicia Sanders and Dorota Klat.

    The Cajuns took a five-point halftime lead into the locker room, 33-28, with shots from Petrakova and Bratton.

    Petrakova led all scorers with 11 points and five rebounds on 5-for-10 shooting. Bratton added nine points. The Mean Green outrebounded the Cajuns 22-19, while the Cajuns forced nine Mean Green turnovers.

    Louisiana's Lady Cajuns return to action Thursday, Feb. 10 when they travel to New Orleans to face the UNO Privateers at the Lakefront Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

    LOUISIANA SI
    Homes SO Clean

  2. Default Lady Cajuns grab key win

    Louisiana's women cut into lead in the West by getting past North Texas, 73-66.

    More than one basketball coach will tell you that the first five minutes of the second half can be the most important in any contest.

    Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns took that message to heart Saturday night at Earl K. Long Gym, and their performance during that span keyed a vital 73-66 Sun Belt Conference victory over North Texas.

    The Cajuns led 33-28 at halftime over the West Division leaders, and increased that advantage to 47-32 with 15:02 to play.

    That and gritty free throw shooting down the stretch by injured point guard Ashley Blanche helped the Cajuns improve to 15-7 overall and 5-4 in conference action.

    The triumph not only got UL within a game of UNT (11-10, 6-3) in the West, it also assured the Cajuns' first winning regular season since 1987-88's 18-11 finish.

    "At halftime, we talked about how North Texas had come back against South Alabama from 15 points down and we didn't want to be in that situation," said senior center Anna Petrakova, who led all scorers with 24 points, all rebounders with 11 and had five blocked shots to become UL's all-time blocked shots leader with 158.

    "We decided to give our all in those first five minutes and take away their will to compete."

    The rest of the story

    Bruce Brown
    bbrown@theadvertiser.com

    Homes SO Clean

  3. UL Basketball Guaranteed success

    Inside, outside proficiency helps Ragin' Cajuns clinch winning season.

    LOUISIANA La. - One of the more intriguing matchups of Saturday's women's basketball game at Earl K. Long Gym pitted Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Anna Petrakova of Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns against standout North Texas freshman Erica Howard.

    Petrakova continues to be UL's best player, and if the Cajuns were going to pick up a game on the West Division leaders and reverse a three-game losing streak they needed her to have a big game.

    Howard, meanwhile, was one reason the Mean Green led the division with back-to-back double-doubles in her last two games.

    Petrakova got the best of the duel, so it was no surprise that the Cajuns prevailed 73-66 to improve to 15-7 overall and assure the school's first winning regular season finish in 17 years.

    "I don't look at her as a freshman," said Petrakova, who led all scorers with 24 points and posted a game-high 11 rebounds. "She competes like she's a veteran player.

    The rest of the story

    Bruce Brown
    bbrown@theadvertiser.com

    Homes SO Clean

  4. #4

    Default

    I want to congratulate Coach Hall and the Lady Cajuns on continuing to turn this program around, and head it in the right directions. Congrats on the winning season! Let's keep goin!

    God Bless.


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