The Book Lady Cajuns basketball 2002-03

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Cajun women pull out victory,
send three seniors out on a high note.

LAFAYETTE — It was just like old times Saturday night.

Charlotte Green got two key steals and converted them into layups, sparking the offense for Louisiana's Lady Cajun basketball team.

And in the closing seconds, Brooke Williams turned in the game’s biggest defensive play against the game’s hottest scorer, enabling the Ragin’ Cajuns to survive in a 55-53 Sun Belt win over Arkansas-Little Rock.

Green and Williams were two of the seniors honored prior to the final home game of the season, along with Sarah Richey, and it was only fitting that both turned in key plays after Richey had fouled out in the game’s final 3:03.

“I’m glad for our three seniors,’’ said Cajun head coach J. Kelley Hall, “and glad we could send them out on a positive note.’’

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Advertiser-Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

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For the first time in more than two years, Louisiana’s Lady Cajuns overcame a halftime deficit to earn a victory. Louisiana, without leading scorer Charlotte Green, topped North Texas 65-59 on Thursday night.

The Cajuns 65 points marked their third best scoring output of the season.

Thursday’s performance was the exact opposite of the last two times UL visited the Super Pit in Denton, Texas. Last season, Louisiana was blown out 88-34, trailing at the half by a score of 43-15. The Lady Cajuns shot only 24 percent and committed 27 turnovers in that game. UL fell 92-49 at NT during the 2000-01 season.

This time, the Cajuns shot 45 percent, committing only 17 turnovers to 20 by North Texas. The two teams committed a combined 21 turnovers in the first half, which saw the Lady Eagles lead 26-21 after 20 minutes.

The win helps the Cajuns sweep the season series with North Texas.

A basket by Sharee Glenn with 12:15 remaining gave the Cajuns their first lead of the second half, 37-35. Three points from Emily Britt recaptured the lead for the Lady Eagles, but a 10-footer from Ashley Blanche and a trey from Glenn gave UL a 42-38 advantage.

North Texas came back with a 12-4 spurt to take a 50-46 lead with less than eight minutes to play. A pair of free throws by Brooke Williams with 6:45 remaining started a 10-0 Cajuns run that was capped by a three-pointer from Bernette Tolston with three minutes left.

Mian Williams and Heather Trout came back with three points apiece to tie the game at 56-56 with 1:59 remaining.

A triple from Tolston with 1:09 on the clock gave UL a 59-56 edge. Blanche’s free throw put the Cajuns up four with 40 seconds left, but Britt banked home a three with 27.5 seconds on the clock to make it a one-point game. Blanche and Anna Petrakova hit a pair of free throws each to seal the win for the Cajuns.

Williams led the Cajuns with 15 points and nine rebounds. Four other players reached double figures as Glenn added 13 points, Tolston 12 points and Blanche and Sarah Richey each added 10 points. Blanche added a game-high five assists.

Britt led North Texas with 21 points and six rebounds in only 22 minutes.

A 7-0 Lady Eagles run to start the second half gave the hosts a 33-21 advantage. The Cajuns came back with a 14-2 spurt to tie the game at 35-35 with 13:10 left in the game.

Williams got Louisiana started with a three-point play. Glenn’s basket and Tolston’s three-pointer pulled the Cajuns closer, before the pair struck again with the same combination to trim NT’s lead to 35-34. A free throw by Glenn would knot the score at 35-35.

Both teams struggled from the floor in the opening minutes, as NT held a 10-6 lead eight minutes into the contest.

As the Cajuns continued to turn the ball over, North Texas started to find their shot. Nahogany Brown and Britt drained three-pointers to up the hosts advantage to 16-6.

Down 19-9, UL generated a 6-0 run to close within 19-15. After four unanswered points by North Texas, the Cajuns outscored the Lady Eagles 6-3 to end the half down five.

The Cajuns finish the regular season on Saturday at Denver.

ULSI

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Streaking Lady Cajuns now high on optimism

LAFAYETTE — Who can blame Louisiana's Lady Cajuns for a touch of euphoria heading into the Sun Belt Conference Tournament?

Coach J. Kelley Hall’s squad won three straight games, two on the road, and notched a first-ever victory over Denver, to wrap up the regular season on a high note at 8-18 and 4-11 in league play.

Now, as it prepares to face Florida International in an 8 p.m. Thursday first-round game in Bowling Green, the Cajuns are eager for more.

“Some of our players have been asking, ‘After we beat FIU, who do we play?’ ” said Hall, whose team lost 78-49 at Florida International on Jan. 18.

That’s obviously taking a quantum leap in self image, but it does reflect what winning can do.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — It seems like such a simple thing to average over 60 points per game as a basketball team. Sometimes, as Louisiana's Lady Cajuns coach J. Kelley Hall knows, that’s easier said than done. Twenty-one times this season, the Ragin’ Cajun women have been held below 60 points. Nine times, it was under 50.

It’s no coincidence that the Cajuns finished 8-18 overall and 4-11 in Sun Belt Conference play.

But a trio of victories at the end of the season have Hall optimistic heading into today’s 8 p.m. meeting with Florida International in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament hosted by Western Kentucky.

“We’ve played our best basketball over the last 8 or 9 games,” Hall said. “Our offense is getting into the 60’s now. Denver scored 61, and that’s the only time we’ve allowed over 60 and still won.”

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Eric Narcisse
enarcisse@theadvertiser.com