The Book: Lady Cajuns 2005-06 basketball season

[NewsCopy]

Coach J. Kelley Hall has given the OK for adding spice to the second of two exhibition games his Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team will stage next week. The Cajuns will host Everyone's Internet on Tuesday and the Jackson Babes on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Earl K. Long Gym before beginning the season Nov. 11 at SMU in the Preseason WNIT. Suiting up for the Jackson Babes next weekend will be a familiar face. Anna Petrakova enjoyed a stellar career with the UL program, helping the Cajuns scale unprecedented heights last season with a 22-9 finish and a Sun Belt Conference Western Division title. She was the Player of the Year in the Sun Belt as a junior and an All-Sun Belt performer again as a senior last season. Now, although she has exhausted her collegiate eligibility, Petrakova remains in school finishing her degree. She also has remained in shape. "Anna's going to play for Jackson," Hall said during Thursday's practice. "I talked to the Jackson people the other day, and they were fine with it. Anna has been working out and I know she's looking forward to playing." With nine new players and the challenge of the NIT awaiting them, the Cajuns need to use the exhibitions to further prepare them for the season. "As a team, we need to find out our weak points," center Sherita Anderson said. "We need to find them early, so we won't do it again. "For myself, I need to see how long my stamina lasts. If so, I should be able to last in a real game." Hall will use every player in next week's contests, utilizing a new NCAA rule allowing players to see action in exhibitions without jeopardizing possible redshirt status. The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. - Early Sunday morning, two members of the University of Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team were involved in a vehicle accident that has left both players hospitalized. Junior point guard Elaine McCants was traveling west on Interstate 10 as she and her three passengers returned home from Baton Rouge when they were struck by a truck, which was traveling east on I-10 in the westbound lane around 3 a.m. McCants suffered a severe injury to her left elbow, while fellow junior point guard Jeanenne Colbert sustained a fracture of the orbital bone around her right eye, according to Cajuns head coach J. Kelley Hall. Both McCants and Colbert underwent surgery Sunday morning. The rest of the story Eric Narcisse enarcisse@theadvertiser.com

McCants                                         Colbert

[Geaux clotille]

Our thoughts and prayers are with the girls, their families and the team.

[headragincajun]

Our thoughts and prayers are with the girls, their families and the team.

Just to update our fans. I just left the two hospitals. J. Colbert came through her surgery fine last night. The doctors do not see any lasting problems with her eye once she gets past the 6-8 week recup time. J.Colbert is from Baltimore and she will be back.

E. McCants had a nasty injury to her left elbow (shattered elbow) Elaine has 7 pins plus the stabilizer bar and all that goes with it. Elaine realizes what that means. Our immediate plan is to get her well enough so she can leave the hospital. Elaine is from Boston and her mom is now on her way back from her TOUR OF DUTY IN IRAQ FIGHTING FOR OUR COUNTRY.

We feel very fortunate that they are going to be O.K. We realize that 12 poeple around our area weren't as fortunate (as stated on the front page of todays paper). It doesn't take away the pain these two young ladies are feeling today because somebody made the decision to drink and drive. We appreciate all your thoughts and prayers and they will get passed on.
HEADRAGINCAJUN1

[Turbine]

We appreciate all your thoughts and prayers and they will get passed on.

Get well soon Miss McCants and Miss Colbert, very sorry for your mishap but am glad you are both survivors.

[Crawfish]

I am sorry these young women are having to suffer this pain because of the irresponsibilty of the driver of the other vehicle. You are correct about the 12 others who did not survive the drunk drivers this past weekend. Some day we will get serious about getting those drunks off of our highway in this state. We are losing too many of our best and brightest because of this. Thanks for the update and these girls will be in my prayers, along with the families of those other 12 who were less fortunate.

[NewsCopy]

J. Kelley Hall had a plan for the 2005-2006 basketball season, a plan to boost Louisiana's Ragin' Cajun women to a higher level after a breakout campaign last year. But that task will be harder now for the Cajuns, who host Everyone's Internet at 7 p.m. tonight in exhibition play at Earl K. Long Gym. A weekend auto accident involving guards Elaine McCants and Jeanenne Colbert has not only shaken their teammates but also altered a strategy that called for the Cajuns to attack opponents in waves of up-tempo pressure. "This changes everything we were going to do," Hall said. "We had planned to structure things around Elaine. I've never had anyone like her before. She's a legitimate big-time player, and I was counting on her for 35 minutes a game." McCants, who came to the Cajuns from Chipola Junior College, led the squad in both points and assists in a scrimmage a week ago. She underwent surgery for a severely damaged elbow and is still hospitalized. Colbert, who led Gulf Coast Community College to the NJCAA finals, sat out last season but showed the ability to amplify starting point guard Ashley Blanche with her floor savvy. She suffered damage to the orbital bone around her right eye in the accident. While Colbert could possibly return to action in late December or January, McCants' prognosis is more uncertain. "We were going to press the heck out of people," Hall said. "We felt we could attack people with our backcourt, but we don't have the numbers to do that now. "This also hurts our inside game, because Elaine and Jeanenne can both get the ball to them. They can see the court, like it's on the playground." Adding to the uncertainty for the Cajuns is the fact that Blanche sat out Monday's practice with a viral infection. The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[Crowley Cajun]

Send them our best, coach and get well soon.

[Geaux clotille]

I can't imagine what these families are having to deal with right now. I feel sure the team is making those moms feel as comfortable as possible, but if they need anything from their clothes washed to a home-cooked meal or whatever, please let me know.

[ATXCajun]

Nothing good ever happens at 3am. I'm just glad that these ladies were wearing their seatbelts and lives have been spared. BTW, exactly how drunk do you have to be to end up going the wrong way on I-10?!! Best wishes for a speedy recovery for these UL students.