The Book: 2002-2003 Basketball (Ragin'Cajuns)

[Cajun1997]

Colorado 75
Louisiana 56

Very ugly loss. I won't single out players cause I don't believe in that, but the team as a whole did not IMHO play with any emotion or grit. Bad game by our "good" players on national TV. Hopefully we will play with more emotion and determination in the next game.

[NewsCopy]

Advertiser-Staff Reports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - It's all about shooting, rebounding and defense, and UL Lafayette's basketball squad struggled in each of those areas for most of its opening appearance in the Pepsi Classic here Friday.

The result was a 75-56 loss to Colorado in the first game of the round-robin tournament at Charlotte's Halton Arena, and the need for quick improvement before the Ragin' Cajuns play today and Sunday in their other two tournament outings.

"We're not going to win very many this way," said Cajun head coach Jessie Evans after his team trailed the Buffaloes by as many as 25 points in the second half. "Our starters didn't play well either offensively or defensively."

The Cajuns (5-4), who meet Loyola-Chicago today at 4 p.m. and host Charlotte at 4 p.m. Sunday, made only eight-of-41 shots in one stretch, were outrebounded 19-8 in the first 16 minutes and didn't force a turnover in a 10-minute span.

All that came after UL Lafayette held a 20-19 lead with 9:14 left in the first half on Laurie Bridges' baseline jumper. Over the next 21 minutes, the Cajuns had a grand total of only six field goals.

The Cajuns also had no answer for seven-foot sophomore center David Harrison, who hit 6-of-8 shots on his way to a 16-point, 13-rebound effort for the Buffaloes (6-3).

"He's shooting over 60 percent from the field for the year," said Colorado head coach Ricardo Patton. "He has to be our first look. He needs to do a better job of getting open so we can get him the ball, but he was a man on the glass today."

The Buffaloes took advantage of UL Lafayette's mid-game cold streak and built a 19-point 45-26 lead in the first five minutes of the second half, a period in which the Cajuns went scoreless until Cedric Williams' follow-up tipin with 14:43 remaining.

The rest of the story

[Cajun1997]

improve to 6-4 on the season. Up next Charlotte 49ers tomorrow at 4pm (central), final game of this tournament before returning home to open conference play against New Mexico State.

[Turbine]

After the Colorado game I was worried about today.
Whew.

[NOCajun]

You too, heh Turbine?? I just hope this team can start playing with some real consistency going into the Conference schedule, cause they're going to NEED IT!!

[Turbine]

LOUISIANA 36 Charlotte 18 at the half

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Boyd is on fire. Defense is the key.

Louisiana leads by 26 with 49-23 with 14:00 left in the game.

Southall's inside Defense is awesome today

[Turbine]

I am more than happy with winning 2 of 3 this weekend

[NewsCopy]

Advertiser-Dan McDonald

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - In a span of 48 hours, UL's men's basketball squad went from one of its most disappointing performances of the season to one of its best.

The Ragin' Cajuns shocked Charlotte Sunday in the final game of the 49ers' own Pepsi Classic tournament, handing the hosts their worst loss ever in their Halton Arena home.

UL jumped to 8-0 and 23-4 leads in the first half, led by as many as 33 points in the final 10 minutes and finished with a convincing 68-47 victory that sent the Cajuns (7-4) into Thursday's Sun Belt Conference opener on a major roll.

"We came out really focused," said Cajun head coach Jessie Evans. "When you get off to a start like that, the home team many times will start tightening up, and we didn't give them anything cheap inside."

The Cajuns, who host New Mexico State Thursday at the Cajundome, held the 49ers (5-5) to a school-record-low 26.2 percent from the field on 17 of 65 shots. Charlotte made only seven of its 36 shots in the first half as UL Lafayette posted a 36-18 lead.

Then, the Cajuns scored 10 unanswered points to start the second half, including back-to-back three-point baskets by Brad Boyd, to take a 46-18 lead. The advantage reached as much as 59-26 with nine minutes left on back-to-back inside baskets by Cedric Williams.

The rest of the story

[Cajun1997]

Great win that we really needed headed into conference play. 7-4 record, not bad either. Looks like the team has found some focus, hope they keep it.

[NewsCopy]

Advertisers-Dan McDonald

LAFAYETTE - The score probably sent a shudder through much of the Sun Belt Conference.

When teams in the Sun Belt saw that Louisiana handed Charlotte its worst home loss since moving into its on-campus facility on Sunday, a lot of them stood up and took notice.

"It's sure nicer to go into the conference with a couple of wins," said Ragin' Cajun head coach Jessie Evans.

The Cajuns took wins in its last two outings in the Pepsi Classic in Charlotte on Saturday and Sunday over Loyola-Chicago and the host 49ers, but it was Sunday's 68-47 win that was the shocker. The Cajuns led by as many as 33 points in the final nine minutes.

Now they'll turn their attention toward league play and a whopper of a conference opener Thursday night when last year's co-champions of the West Division meet at the Cajundome. New Mexico State (8-2) enters the 7:05 p.m. contest with the league's best non-conference record.

And, the question is: Which Cajun team will arrive when the squad plays its first home game in two weeks?

Will it be the one that beat now-eighth-ranked Mississippi State on the road in the season opener, pounded their three home opponents by a total of 119 points, and whipped Charlotte on its home floor?

Or will it be the team that struggled in early losses at McNeese State and Birmingham Southern, and then was embarrassed by Colorado 75-56 on Friday in the Pepsi Classic opener?

The rest of the story

[Cajun1997]

The Original Mid-Major Top 25 Poll

TOP 10
01 Creighton, 10-0
02 Butler, 10-0
03 Gonzaga, 8-4
04 Utah State, 9-2
05 Pennsylvania, 3-2
06 Southern Illinois, 5-3
07 Kent State, 7-1
08 New Mexico State, 8-2
09 Murray State, 6-2
10 Davidson, 6-2

others of note
18 Western Kentucky, 6-5
19 Louisiana, 7-4

received votes
New Orleans, 7-3
Arkansas-Little Rock, 8-5

[Turbine]

Forget the Fiesta.
Don't take a siesta.

Instead come out to the Cajun Dome and witness Louisiana's first conference "testa"

[NewsCopy]

Advertisers-Dan McDonald

LAFAYETTE - Is it too early to refer to a Sun Belt Conference game as a key point in the league's basketball race?

Is Jan. 2 too soon to have a front-runner emerge, especially since none of the 11 teams in the league have opened conference wars?

Maybe not.

When last we left LOUISIANA and New Mexico State, the teams were battling for the Sun Belt's West Division honors in last year's regular-season finale at the Cajundome. That night, the Cajuns made enough free throws at the end to hold on for a 69-67 win over the Aggies, giving Louisiana a share of the West title and the No. 1 West seed in the league tournament.

Both teams lost to Western Kentucky in the league meet, NMSU in the last seconds 73-72 in the semifinals and the Cajuns by 76-70 in the finals.

Now, with WKU struggling with injuries heading into conference play, the two teams picked atop this year's West race may be the two top teams in the league.

And it's almost fitting that the Cajuns (7-4) and the Aggies (8-2) meet tonight in an energy-charged league opener, two days prior to most of the Sun Belt teams tipping off conference play on Saturday.

The rest of the story

[EVCajun12]

Do you think we will have a good crowd tonight?

[1stTake]

"Fiesta, siesta, testa"

Hey Turb the Fiesta is tommorrow tonight is Orange.