The Book: Lady Cajuns 2005-06 basketball season

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Losing to North Texas last Saturday, and watching a 22-game home win streak go up in smoke, was bad enough. Now the Louisiana Ragin' Cajun women's basketball team has to regroup away from E.K. Long Gym, playing the next five games on the road and seven of the next eight in hostile arenas. If the Cajuns (11-3 overall, 1-1 in Sun Belt Conference play) are going to get back in the hunt, seniors Ashley Blanche and Sherita Anderson are going to have vital roles. "Ashley and I have been here," Anderson said, "so we have a bigger responsibility. We need to pull the team together. He (coach J. Kelley Hall) shouldn't have to do that. "We're very capable of doing it. We've done it in the past." Blanche, whose freshman season of 2002-2003 corresponded with Hall's arrival at the school, noted the dose of reality dealt to the Cajuns in Saturday's 70-47 defeat. "I don't think there's extra pressure on us," she said. "I feel we had our bad game against North Texas. A lot of the players didn't know what it felt like to be beat like that. We had been beating everybody else by 20. "We just have to work extra hard now. We have to step up and do what we have to do." The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

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MOBILE, Ala. - Without question, the North Texas Mean Green fired the shot heard 'round the Sun Belt Conference with last Saturday's 70-47 victory over the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns that snapped UL's 22-game home win streak. UNT grabbed the West Division lead at 2-0 and continued its school-record start at 12-2 overall. But the South Alabama Jaguars fired some shots of their own on Saturday as coach Rick Pietri's squad hit a Twilight Zone-like, school-record 16-of-25 3-pointers in a 71-52 road win over a Troy University squad that had not fallen at home all season. JoAnna Williams hit 5-of-6 to lead the assault, while both Ashley Gamble and Raena Ellies nailed 4-of-6 in the eye-popping explosion. "It's not like Troy wasn't playing defense," UL coach J. Kelley Hall said after seeing video of the game. "I think 11 of the 16 (successful) treys were contested." "We shot it extremely well from the perimeter, and when you make shots it helps in other areas," said Pietri, understating the case. USA made 8-of-11 treys in the first half alone. Hall's Cajuns (11-3, 1-1) will try to do what Troy could not today at 7 p.m. against the 7-6, 1-0 Jaguars. The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

MOBILE, Ala. - The Louisiana Ragin' Cajun women decided enough was enough here on Thursday night. The Cajuns had lost three straight games to South Alabama in the Mitchell Center under coach J. Kelley Hall, often in excruciating ways and always after leading in the second half, but this time it was different. This time it was the Cajuns who made the plays down the stretch, emerging with a 60-56 victory that re-energized the squad after last Saturday's humbling home loss to North Texas. Junior college transfer Yolanda Jones led the victory, scoring 30 points and pulling down 18 rebounds in a tour de force that included two tie-breaking free throws with 16.7 seconds to play, while senior center Sherita Anderson sealed the verdict with a pair of charities at the :08.7 mark. "It's difficult to say, but I think this team is beginning to grow up now," said Hall, whose Cajuns improved to 12-3 and 2-1 in the Sun Belt Conference. "I think it took that last loss against North Texas to wake them up. "It was a gut check, and our people stepped up and answered it. We made some changes within the team, and I saw some players willing to change tonight." "I wantd to make sure that last game didn't happen again," Jones said. "I really wanted to step up tonight." "This is a big, big win for us," Anderson said. "This gave us everything. Everything that we lost the other night, we got everything back." The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Sherita Anderson, Yolanda Jones, Amber Williams and Whitney Dunlap were relaxing in the indoor pool at Mobile's Fairfield Inn late Thursday night, enjoying a rare positive visit to South Alabama's Mitchell Center. Just couple of hours earlier, Jones and Anderson had made clutch free throws to produce a 60-56 victory in a crucial Sun Belt Conference West Division battle, the first win in four tries for coach J. Kelley Hall in that arena. The relieved Cajuns deserved the break. Now that they've shown they know how to reverse negative history, though, the Cajuns need to handle a little prosperity. Thursday's win enabled UL (12-3 overall) to climb back in the division race at 2-1, equal to North Texas and Denver entering today's slate of games. If Hall's squad can add another road triumph over Troy (7-6, 1-1) tonight, they'll be loaded with momentum. "We need to keep up our intensity against Troy," said senior point guard Ashley Blanche, who had 3 points and 6 rebounds on Thursday. "We need to keep playing defense, play the game hard and not slack up. We want to sweep this road trip." "If we can go 2-0 this would be the best road trip since I've been here," Anderson said. "If we play with the same teamwork, attitude and same work ethic, we can do it." The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

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After trailing by as many as 28 points, the Troy University women's basketball team fought back to within 10 but could never quite close the gap as it fell 81-69 to Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday. Laura Lee Holman led Troy (7-7, 1-2) with 22 points, and Alecia Jones added 18. Audrey Muse finished with nine rebounds, and Santana Seay and Kylie Morrissy each handed out four assists. Onna Charles scored a career-high 35 points for the Ragin' Cajuns (13-3, 3-1), with 18 of those points coming off six three-point goals. Yolanda Jones added 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for ULL. The Ragin' Cajuns scored on their first nine possessions as they built a 21-4 lead just six minutes into the game. Leading 22-8, ULL went on an 11-0 run that gave it a 33-8 advantage with 8:44 left in the half. The rest of the story By Kara Moran Special to The Messenger

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New Iberia Senior High product Onna Charles did more than her fair share in helping the Louisiana Ragin' Cajun women's basketball team complete its road sweep of the Sun Belt Conference teams in Alabama on Saturday night with a convincing 81-69 win over Troy. Charles led the Cajuns offensively with a career-high 35 points - the 12th best scoring performance in school history - and added seven rebounds. Charles poured in 24 points in the first half, and then scored 11 points in the second half to help prevent any comeback attempts by Troy. The victory improved the Cajuns to 13-3 overall and 3-1 in Sun Belt play. Louisiana led by 16 points at the half and never saw its lead dip below double figures in the win. The rest of the story

[El Sidonio]

Now before y'all get your underpants all twisted in a knot over the title of my post, gimme a second to explain. I like to consider myself as a quite loyal UL fan, not quite as loyal as all the Turbines and DaddyCajuns out there, but loyal. If I wasn't, I'd have jumped on some other bandwagon years back.


My point is that I don't necessarily believe in leaving a team when it's down, but look at our situation here. We have a men's team that is as crappy as it can be. Good players, but the coaching doesn't seem to be that good. On the other hand, we have a women's team that is way more hardworking, and has recently been setting records, and they keep getting better and playing excellent. The coaching for the women's team is outstanding.


I propose that all of you out there who are unhappy with the men's program right now, maybe take some time off from the men's games and go support a program that deserves it, women's basketball. You might find yourself impressed and buying a new set of season tickets. Imagine if at EK Long we had only half the crowd we have for men's games, it'd be TEN times louder. And we'd be sending the right message, that we're tired of mediocrity and don't support losing as a habit.

I'm not saying permanently take a break from men's basketball, but just give a chance and go watch and support the women.

Just my 2 cents

God Bless
Geaux Cajuns

[JMV JustMyView]

The women's team could use some more support and make Earl K Long one of the toughest place to play.

[Clutch0364]

Until I see the effort our of our starters that I saw from Alphonso Williams, Rhett Hebert, and Adam James I will be attending the women's game. Coach Hall has the women playing with a lot of effort and that is one thing I have not seen out of the men all year. It seems like very few on this cajun mens team care and want to be out there so until the start to play hard and actually get a little toughness, then I will be at the women's games watchign a good product on the court.

[derf]

or how about being a true UL fan and going to both. How insulting is this whole situation. You have to be kidding. This is why UL has a history of being looked at as one of thoes schools that just can't get over the hump. YOu know I used to have season tickets to LSU years ago and even when they were pretty bad the fans still attended. Now that I am here in Lafayette home of the Ragin Cajuns I attend every event that I can. Sid I know deep down inside you are hurt. So am I. I haven't missed a basketball game in Lafayette( or a tournament) in 8 yrs, and it is hard to see OUR TEAM playing this way but to suggest that we, for lack of a better term, boycott OUR TEAM for a lackluster season is just plain wrong. This is not New Orleans. WE should and WILL support OUR TEAM no matter what.

[El Sidonio]

Derf,

I understand where you're coming from, which is why i said in my original post that we shouldn't permanently boycott the men's games. BUT, it is sad when the men's team, which is defining the essence of crappy basketball play, gets 6 times the attendance of the women's team which is defining the essence of solid excellent basketball play. Again, we should support our team no matter what, but what does it say to the outside world, and to everyone else when we give more support to a very bad men's team over an excellent women's team?

Just my 3 cents

God Bless
Geaux Cajuns

p.s.- besides, if we always support the men's team with huge crowds, etc even when they don't deserve it, then what incentive does that give them to do better? There's a logical reason why attendance goes down when the W-L ratio does.

[derf]

if you think that pedople not showing up to their games is gonna make them play better, then you have a skewed veiw of support. Look, there are many things which keep the fans from comming out in droves for the women's games. The biggest is that the Earl K. is one of the most fan-unfriendly places for veiwing college sports. I go anyway, but the point is that people can go to the dome and feel like they are at a college sporting event, while long feels like a small highschool gym. Secondly, if you do some research on it you'll find that the support gap between men's and women's sports in college is not a rare occurance. I agree its sad but not uncommon. The great thing that this university does is it doesn't schedule Men's and Women's home games on the same day that often. And, when it does happen they both play at the dome. This is so everyone can come to both games.
And I don't hear you complaining that our really good baseball team consistantly outdraws our GREAT softball team.
Give it a rest Sid, you don't abandon your team because they are struggling. PERIOD. No matter how long the time period.

that's my dime

[BrockMeaux]

if you think that pedople not showing up to their games is gonna make them play better, then you have a skewed veiw of support. Look, there are many things which keep the fans from comming out in droves for the women's games. The biggest is that the Earl K. is one of the most fan-unfriendly places for veiwing college sports. I go anyway, but the point is that people can go to the dome and feel like they are at a college sporting event, while long feels like a small highschool gym. Secondly, if you do some research on it you'll find that the support gap between men's and women's sports in college is not a rare occurance. I agree its sad but not uncommon. The great thing that this university does is it doesn't schedule Men's and Women's home games on the same day that often. And, when it does happen they both play at the dome. This is so everyone can come to both games.
And I don't hear you complaining that our really good baseball team

[El Sidonio]

if you think that pedople not showing up to their games is gonna make them play better, then you have a skewed veiw of support. Look, there are many things which keep the fans from comming out in droves for the women's games. The biggest is that the Earl K. is one of the most fan-unfriendly places for veiwing college sports. I go anyway, but the point is that people can go to the dome and feel like they are at a college sporting event, while long feels like a small highschool gym. Secondly, if you do some research on it you'll find that the support gap between men's and women's sports in college is not a rare occurance. I agree its sad but not uncommon. The great thing that this university does is it doesn't schedule Men's and Women's home games on the same day that often. And, when it does happen they both play at the dome. This is so everyone can come to both games.
And I don't hear you complaining that our really good baseball team consistantly outdraws our GREAT softball team.
Give it a rest Sid, you don't abandon your team because they are struggling. PERIOD. No matter how long the time period.

that's my dime

I'd give it a rest if I didn't care, but I do, so I can't. Again, I support the notion that permanently abandoning the team is not good, but temporarily it is, as hard as that is for you to understand. While this may not be true at all times and all places, I really feel like our women deserve the support better than our men. And since people in the town and university find it hard to support multiple programs, I say, support the women's team, they deserve it.

Also, I never said that not going to men's games would make them play better. That what you ASSumed. What I said was that the way they're playing right now doesn't deserve the level of support it's getting. Again, you never answered my question about what it says when we support a HORRIBLE men's team more than an EXCELLENT women's team that really deserves it. I still stand by my point that if the men's team/staff sees that we are willing to support less than excellence, they'll be better off than if they see a full crowd even when they play crappy.

As far as the atmosphere at Long versus the Cajundome, I agree to an extent. The Cajundome is a more professional place to play. But until we get crowds of greater than 7k at the Dome, Blackham and Long will always be better places to play. They are more intimidating to opponents because of the closeness of the fans, and the magnification of noise levels. In reference to the women's team, would you rather their crowds of 500 look and sound really good in Long, or look pathetic and insulting at the huge Dome?

In regards to your comment about baseball, versus softball, that's a whole different story. What I mean is that, both baseball and softball are good (softball is consistently "better") but they BOTH play hard and usually have solid fundamentals. That is the difference. While the baseball team is usually not at as high a level of success as the softball team, they work hard to earn our support. Men's basketball right now (not sure for how long) is absolutely horrible. It'd deserve more support if the record was horrible but they actually played like they knew how to play, or if they played with solid fundamentals. But, the way they're playing right now deserves no support save for the fact that we love them because they're a part of our university.

To make another analogy, when a university is promoting itself to a prospective student, you never heard them say "well this program is mediocre, but we love our university so we support it anyways and you should too!". While support of the whole university is always there, they usually try and emphasize the better respected higher ranked programs, and for good reason.

In the end, I could go on all day, and some of you might agree with me and some of you might not. Either way, I think I've said enough. What I hope happens is that our men's team gets back to where it needs to be.

God Bless
Geaux Cajuns

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Since few lives are ever lived free of speed bumps - or speed lumps, as they are known in the Saints streets area - success usually has as much to do with how you react to adversity as how you behave when life is easy. The Louisiana Ragin' Cajun women got embarrassed at home by North Texas on Jan. 7, not just bidding farewell to a 22-game home win streak but landing with a 70-47 thud. The road ahead looked rough - five straight games away from Earl K. Long Gym, starting with South Alabama in Mobile, and seven of eight on the road in Sun Belt Conference play. They could have dwelled on the loss to UNT. They could have folded and let the unreasonable league slate get to them. They could have lost for a fourth straight time under J. Kelley Hall in Mobile, where something always seems to happen to snatch a win away from UL. But that's not what happened. The Cajuns refused to lose at USA last Thursday, emerging with a 60-56 victory that re-energized their campaign. Then - and just as importantly - Hall's squad climbed all over Troy University for an 81-69 triumph sparked by a career-high 35 points from New Iberia's Onna Charles. Suddenly, the Cajuns are 13-3 overall and 3-1 in Sun Belt play, right back in the thick of the chase for the West Division title they won a year ago. The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com