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

[NewsCopy]

Advertiser-Dan McDonald

Cajuns able to extend home streak to 20

LAFAYETTE — “We refuse to lose,” joked Louisiana head basketball coach Jessie Evans after his Ragin’ Cajun squad walked the tightrope once again Tuesday night.

The Cajuns almost fell, but got big plays defensively at the end of regulation and at the end of overtime in escaping with a 72-69 win over Denver’s hustling Pioneers.

UL (17-6, 9-1) trailed in the final 40 seconds of regulation and in the final 70 seconds of overtime, but found a way to escape with its 20-game homecourt winning streak intact and maintain its big lead in the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division.

“This is the way it’s going to be from here on in,” Evans said. “We’re going to have to take everyone’s best shot.”

The rest of the story

[NewsCopy]

Advertiser

LAFAYETTE — Good basketball teams aren’t happy with sub-par performances, even those that wind up as victories.

After a few seconds of jubilation following Tuesday’s 72-69 overtime victory over Denver, most members of the Louisiana squad weren’t happy with their performance even though they preserved a basket full of winning streaks.

“We should be playing way better than we are,” said senior Immanuel Washington, one of the sparks of a defensive effort that was mostly responsible for the team’s seventh straight win.

“The intensity wasn’t there for most of the game. We’ve got to come out with more intensity.”

The Cajuns trailed by as many as four points in the first half against a DU team it led by 23 in Denver less than two weeks ago, and then let a 10-point lead slip away in the final nine minutes.

Still, they survived with a second straight overtime win, and in the process built a three-game margin over the rest of the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division and put themselves in a position to lock up the division’s top seed for the postseason tournament on Saturday.

The rest of the story

[NewsCopy]

Advertiser

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — The battle for Sun Belt Conference West Division basketball honors runs for two more weeks, but in effect the race could end tonight.

Louisiana could bring the West to a premature end when the Ragin’ Cajuns play New Mexico State in a battle of the division’s top two teams.

Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. (CST) in front of an anticipated full house at the Pan American Center. The game will be televised as part of the Sun Belt’s regional television package and will air in Lafayette on COX Sports Television (cable channel 76).

The Cajuns (17-6, 9-1) have won seven straight games and are on an eight-game streak in Sun Belt play, having opened a big gap over the rest of the West with five games remaining in the regular season.

The only team hanging anywhere close is the host Aggie squad (16-6, 6-4), which is three games back only because NMSU has won five of its last six.

A UL win would insure the Cajuns no worse than a share of the West title with four games remaining, and would lock up the No. 1 seeded slot from the West for the league’s postseason tournament March 7-11 in Bowling Green, Ky.

The rest of the story

[Turbine]

ooh-LALa !!! RaCaRoll

When was the last time Louisiana locked up a division this early? Wow this is nice, and to do it in such dominatiing fashion.

This was only the second time this season, that NMSU lost at home. This win was sweet.

I do not feel bad for "chest show boat" Chris Jackson, even though he had a great game with his double-double. The thing is the Cajuns were a TEAM.

Congrats to Boyd'sshooting, and Southall's totally unselfish play. To me he is the heart and soul.

7 wins from March Madness. Geaux Cajuns

[NewsCopy]

Brad Boyd leads Cajuns over New Mexico State

Advertiser

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — How the West was won. Louisiana's Ragin’ Cajuns captured the Sun Belt Conference West Division for the second straight year Saturday night with a 69-58 victory over the New Mexico State Aggies at the Pan American Center. Coach Jessie Evans’ squad improved to 18-6 overall and 10-1 in the Sun Belt Conference, while NMSU fell to 16-7, 6-5.

Even if the Cajuns uncharacteristically dropped their last four SBC games, and the Aggies won four straight to end the campaign, UL’s season sweep over NMSU assured the West crown.

Brad Boyd propelled the impressive road victory with 26 points, while Anthony Johnson came through with 18 and Kenneth Lawrence contributed 10.

“We really excited about it,” Evans said. “That’s two years in a row that we’ve come into one of the most difficult places to play and won. We grew up a lot tonight.

The rest of the story

[NOCajun]

WAY TO GEAUX CAJUNS!!!!

[1stTake]

How long has the Sunbelt had an east west setup?

[Pirogue]

[Pirogue]

[1stTake]

That last pic looks like Southall is just waiting for the shooter.