The Book: Lady Cajuns 2005-06 basketball season

[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.

[lcitsh]

Nothing good ever happens at 3am (except sleep).

Our prayers are with these young ladies.

[lcitsh]

Tonight we get a taste of what the season may be like. Without Elaine and Jeanenne, Ashley and Blair will shoulder the point guard duties. Blair still hasn't fully recovered from her high school injury, plus she is having foot problems. The one thing I sense from these players is that there is more basketball savvy than there ever has been on a Cajun basketball team. We'll see as the season progresses. Blessings to Elaine and Jeanenne, our prayers are with you.

[NewsCopy]

Elaine McCants is still in the hospital, and Jeanenne Colbert was less than a day removed from one. So when Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns hosted Everyone's Internet on Tuesday, the sight of a bruised and battered Colbert gingerly making her way into Earl K. Long Gym to support them was an inspirational moment. "It was real uplifting to see her," said senior point guard Ashley Blanche. "She was kind of hiding at first, and then when we saw her it got us really pumped up. We tried to play hard for her." McCants and Colbert were both injured in a late-night weekend auto accident on Interstate 10, and their plight has had their teammates on emotional edge since early Sunday morning. "I'm tired of crying," said Yolanda Jones. "I don't want to cry no more. You try not to think about it." McCants underwent surgery to repair severe damage to an elbow and remains hospitalized, while Colbert had a plate inserted around her right eye socket after her orbital bone was broken. Although Colbert was told she needed rest and quiet, she attended Tuesday's game and stayed for most of the contest before leaving. "Jeanenne gave us a lift," coach J. Kelley Hall said. "She looked like a prize fighter who had just gone 15 rounds. Her arm's in a sling and her eye has a plate in it. The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

It's been a long 2 1/2 days for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. Facing a team of WNBA hopefuls including at least one Olympian, coach J. Kelley Hall's squad dropped an 82-54 exhibition decision to Everyone's Internet on Tuesday at Earl K. Long Gym just two days after team members Elaine McCants and Jeanenne Colbert were injured in a weekend auto accident. The visitors out-rebounded the Cajuns 41-26 and hit 29-of-57 shots to cruise to victory behind 15 points from Cynthia Ford, 14 from Naomi Mobley and 11 from Keila Beachem. "It was very therapeutic to play a game," said senior point guard Ashley Blanche, who scored 11 points and had 8 assists. "This exposed our weaknesses and showed us what we need to work on. We got more out of the game than we can get working against each other." "This is a different level of play for me," said forward Yolanda Jones, a national champion in junior college to led the Cajuns with 17 points and 6 rebounds. "I've never played this level of competition before, and I needed to see where everybody was at." "Well," Hall said, "we survived it. They exploited us a lot. I was concerned with the problems they could pose for our young kids. The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com