The Book: Lady Cajuns 2005-06 basketball season

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LOUISIANA La. – Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns overcame an early nine-point deficit to defeat Texas-Pan American 53-43 on Wednesday night at Earl K. Long Gym. After a difficult first half, UL played much better during an eight minute stretch in the second half to build a lead they would not relinquish. Sonora Edwards took control of the game, scoring eight straight points for the Cajuns, as the hosts moved a five point lead to 10 points in a 3:53 span. Yolanda Jones would add a basket and Edwards a pair of free throws to give Louisiana their biggest lead, 14 points (47-33), with 6:34 to play. UTPA made a late push, using a 7-0 burst to cut their lead in half, but tough Cajuns defense held the Lady Broncs scoreless for the next 2:29 and Edwards added two more free throws to give the Cajuns a nine-point cushion with 1:45 remaining. Edwards led all scorers with a career-high 18 points and nine rebounds. A career 77 percent free throw shooter, Edwards hit 9-of-10 from the free throw line, as the rest of the Cajuns struggled to make 4-of-11 from the charity stripe. The Cajuns stretched their three-point halftime lead to seven in the opening minutes of the second half. After the Lady Broncs had closed to within one point, Ashley Blanche responded with a three-pointer to up the Cajuns lead to four. Onna Charles hit her first free throw and missed the second, but Edwards’ offensive rebound and put-back gave UL a 37-30 lead. The Cajuns lead hit double figures four minutes later. Edwards second straight offensive rebound and put-back preceded a lay-up and then a pair of free throws – all from Edwards. Jones added 13 points and five steals for the Cajuns, while Blanche added 11 points. Despite a tough first half shooting the basketball, Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns managed to take their first lead with 1:10 remaining in the opening stanza and keep a three-point lead at the break. Down four with 2:23 left, Alicia McDaniel, Blanche and Whitney Dunlap hit back-to-back-to-back three’s to give the Cajuns a five-point lead. UTPA’s MaHogany Daniel scored the final basket of the half with 3.2 seconds remaining, as Louisiana led 27-24 after 20 minutes. It was the visitors that came out firing. UTPA connected on all three of its three-point shots en route to a 13-5 lead. The Cajuns utilized a 9-1 run to get back into the game. Edwards and Jones each hit a three pointer and then each later added a free throw to tie the game at 14-14 with 6:41 to play. Louisiana continues their home stretch on Sunday with a 2pm matinee against Texas-El Paso at Earl K. Long Gym. LOUISIANA SI

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There's an old saying in athletics that there's no such thing as a bad win. Well, the University of Louisiana Ragin Cajun women's basketball team certainly won't offer up any apologies after defeating the Texas-Pan American Lady Broncs 53-43 Wednesday night at Earl K. Long Gym, despite being outshot 36 to 28 percent, and outrebounded 40-39. "Any win that we can get is a good win, especially considering how inexperienced this team is," Cajun head coach J. Kelley Hall said. "We didn't shoot the ball well in either half tonight, but because we battled so hard, and played such outstanding defense, we we able to come away with the win, and that's the way this team is going to have to win this year." The rest of the story Steve Peloquin Sports Correspondent

[El Sidonio]

(from RaginCajuns.com)

"It wasn’t easy, but Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns home court winning steak lives on, thanks to a 65-61 double overtime victory over Texas-El Paso on Sunday afternoon."

I bet this just makes the girls hungrier for their next win.

Seriously, congrats to the Lady Cajuns for continuing to show perseverance.

GEAUX LOUISIANA'S RAGIN CAJUNS!!!!!!


God Bless

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LAFAYETTE – It wasn’t easy, but Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns home court winning steak lives on, thanks to a 65-61 double overtime victory over Texas-El Paso on Sunday afternoon. The Cajuns have now won 18 consecutive games at home. In the second overtime, neither team could score until Ashley Blanche’s three-point play with 2:20 remaining. Charnette Phelps scored on a short jumper 16 seconds later to cut the Cajuns lead to one point, 59-58, at the 2:04 mark. Blanche drilled a three-pointer from the top of the circle at 1:37 to extend the Cajuns lead to four, 62-58, with 97 seconds to play. Three straight defensive stands by the Cajuns led to three points from the free throw line, one by Blanche with 45.1 remaining and two by Yolanda Jones with 24 seconds remaining. Blanche had a chance to win it in the first over overtime, but her three-pointer at the buzzer hit the front of the rim In the first extra session, Sonora Edwards tied the game after UTEP momentarily took a two-point lead. Blanche then gave the Cajuns a two-point cushion after converting a difficult off-balance lay-up after being bumped in lane. Phelps tied the game for UTEP, but Blanche’s two free throws put the Cajuns back in front with 25.7 seconds remaining. Phelps re-tied the contest on a pair of free throws with 11.5 seconds remaining to send the game into the second overtime session. Blanche led all players with a career-high 23 points, including four consecutive free throws in overtime. Jones poster her second double-double of the season with 19 points and a team-high 14 rebounds. Edwards, making her second career start and first this season, added her first career double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. The rest of the story LOUISIANA SI

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Every basketball team endures shooting days like the one the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team had on Sunday afternoon. But despite a horrendous first half shooting performance in which they were 7-of-35 from the field (20 percent), the Cajuns managed to pull out a 65-61 double-overtime victory against University of Texas-El Paso. And the key to the victory for the Cajuns, who extended the nation's 12th longest home winning streak to 18 games in front of 217 fans, was their suffocating defensive pressure and the senior prowess of guard Ashley Blanche. "Our defense gave us a chance to win the game," Cajuns coach J. Kelley Hall said of his team, who finished the game shooting 30.4 percent from the field. "It was our defense that kept us in the game, until we were able to score points." The Cajuns forced 21 turnovers and held the Miners to 30 percent shooting from the field in the game. "It was really frustrating early on because no one could hit a shot," said Cajuns junior forward Yolanda Jones, who recorded a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds in 46 minutes. "But we played great defense. We were able to hold them to 22 points in the first half. That helped us stay with them." Blanche enjoyed a career day against the Miners, scoring a game-high 23 points for the Cajuns, who improved to 3-1 on the year. The rest of the story Eric Narcisse enarcisse@theadvertiser.com

[Geaux clotille]

I am cracking up at the thread title.

In our family we often use tha phrase, "Yum, yum come get you some." in tribute to our favorite cotton candy vendor at Cajun Field.

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It's easy to play well when everyone's on a roll. The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns have proven they can win even when that's not happening. The Cajuns (3-1) suffered through one of their worst shooting halves under fourth-year coach J. Kelley Hall on Sunday, hitting just 20 percent (7-of-35) against visiting Texas-El Paso, but they still clawed their way to a 65-61 double-overtime victory. It was the 18th straight triumph at home for UL, but one of the hardest to attain. "It proves we keep fighting," said forward Yolanda Jones, who suffered through a 6-of-19 shooting effort but finished with 19 pints and 14 rebounds. "Some teams, when they get to overtime, they fall under. Some teams fold. But our momentum got better. At the beginning of the game, I was thinking maybe this would be a loss we could learn from, but we played defense so hard that I felt we really wanted to play." Defense has been a cornerstone for Hall's squads since his arrival in 2002, and it took a spirited defensive effort to keep the Cajuns afloat against UTEP. "At halftime (trailing 22-19), we just said it was a new half, a new game," Jones said. "The more we dwell on it (poor shooting), the more it becomes a problem mentally. I knew I was shooting bad. We just had to leave that behind us." The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[El Sidonio]

For a breath of fresh air, and a winning team:

UL 36
TX. Southern 24

about 2:00 left

GEAUX LADY CAJUNS!!!!!!

[Rebel02]

For a breath of fresh air, and a winning team:

UL 36
TX. Southern 24

about 2:00 left

GEAUX LADY CAJUNS!!!!!!

Keep it up ladies....we need one basketball team to win tonight.

[El Sidonio]

UL 42
TSU 33
Halftime