Lady Cajun Basketball Wins West

[CajunKate]

The Long dome was rocking tonight! That was one fantastic game, I must say. The atmosphere was electric, and the ladies found a way to beast ASU tonight. And, boy, were they thrilled!

Congrats, Lady Cajuns- Western Division champs, 20 win season, and undefeated at home. Awesome!

Turbine, I saw you there with your camera. Any pics to share?

[Cajun1997]

Originally posted by CajunKate

Congrats, Lady Cajuns- Western Division champs, 20 win season, and undefeated at home. Awesome!

[lcitsh]

SHOUT IT OUT LOUD!!! From the worst in the country to the BEST IN THE SUN BELT WEST!!! There's more work to do but this program has turned the corner and it will only get better. THANK YOU J. KELLEY & MEREDITH, BILL, AND ROSALYN!!! You are the best! Much love to ANNA, BERNETTE, TIFFANY (our seniors) and to the entire women's team for making this a year to remember. God bless you as you go for it in Denton.

[CajunCharlie]

Yes, it was quite a game. That #40 for ASU kept them in the game. She was a LOAD!!! But our ladies did not back down. They did not play well in some stretches. Yet they hung in there, caused a critical turn over with 4.1 seconds left, took advantage of it, and the rest is HISTORY!!!!

As good as the game was the officiating was as bad. The SBC must do something about the incompetency! The ladies games seem to be plaqued more by incompetent officials than the men. So you have a vivid idea of how terrible it was.

Oh well we won and that is the main thing. I just had to vent a little about the officiating.

[Turbine]

Thanks Tiffany Washington

[Turbine]

Thanks Anna Petrakova

[Turbine]

Thanks Bernette Tolston

[Turbine]

Million dollar well deserved smile.

[Turbine]

Then again how can you put a price tag on great smiles.

[Turbine]

Loud was not the word for the crowd. Electric might be.

[NewsCopy]

West is all theirs. Blanche's buzzer-beater sinks Arkansas State

While it may not have been the shot heard around the world, Ashley Blanche's buzzer-beater that clinched the program's first Sun Belt West Division Championship outright, will be forever remembered as arguably the greatest shot in Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball history.

With four seconds remaining in regulation and the game tied 64-64, Blanche inbound the basketball to Anna Petrakova, who then gave the ball back to Blanche. Blanche drove baseline and fired up a runner which rattled around the rim as time expired before eventually falling in, giving the Cajuns a 66-64 victory over Arkansas State on Senior Night Saturday.

"I really can't believe that this is happening right now," Blanche said after the game, while signing autographs. "I can't even begin to describe how I'm feeling right now. This just feels really good."

After Indians (18-9, 11-3) guard Ali Carter made one-of-two free throws with 30 seconds remaining to tie the game at 64-64, Blanche penetrated through the lane and attempted a shot, but was called for an offensive foul with five seconds left.

"You can't lose your composure when a call is made," said Blanche, who finished the game with 12 points and three rebounds. "You have to just bounce back and try to get the ball back.

"We knew that we just had to go out and play defense," said Cajuns senior Bernette Tolston, who scored 12 points, hauled in six rebounds and handed out four assists. "I knew that we would get the ball back."

And the Cajuns did get the ball back, after the Indians turned the basketball over on the ensuing inbound giving Louisiana one last chance to win the game in regulation.

"Right when we got the ball back, the play popped right into my head," said Cajuns head coach J. Kelley Hall. "I knew that play would get us to the rim and the only question was could Anna get open. She did and fortunately the shot dropped for us. But the play worked exactly how I drew it up."

With the win, not only did the Cajuns (20-8, 10-5) clinch the West division crown outright, but they secured the school's second ever 20-win season, the first unbeaten season at home (13-0) and Hall surpassed Gay Nix for second place on the school's all-time coaching wins list with 41.

"I'm just really on top of the world right now," said Petrakova, whose team-high 23 points put her fourth on the school's all-time scoring list. "This definitely exceeds my expectations. I believed that we were capable of winning, but it's kind of like you had to see it to believe it."

"I'm just too excited right now," said Cajuns senior and Franklin native Tiffany Washington. "All season long I believed that this was possible, because of our team chemistry. We wanted to win Thursday, but we wanted to win again tonight so we would have it (championship) to ourselves."

The rest of the story

Eric Narcisse
enarcisse@theadvertiser.com

[BrockMeaux]

What a great, great game. Thanks to all the fans for making the atmosphere, and thanks to the Ladies for putting on the show of the year.