University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
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11/20/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NO. 21 TEXAS HANDS CAJUNS SEASON-OPENING LOSS ... Nov. 20, 1999
AUSTIN, Texas -- Louisiana's Ragin' Cajun basketball team suffered from ice-cold shooting early and could never recover as the No. 21 Texas Longhorns handed the Cajuns a 82-48 loss in the Black Coaches Association Freedom Classic Saturday night before 7,521 fans at the Frank Erwin Center.
Preseason All-American big man Chris Mihm scored 18 points, collected 17 rebounds and had six blocks to pace the Longhorns (1-0). Texas also benefited from physical defense and 15 first-half Cajun turnovers to build a double-digit first-half lead. Four Longhorns tallied double-figures in scoring, as Willie Clay had 17, and Gabe Muoneke and Chris Owens each poured in 16 points.
Shea Whiting led UL Lafayette (0-1) with 11 points while Brett Smith had a team-high 10 rebounds. But it was a stifling defense by the Longhorns along with constant foul trouble for the visitors that did the Cajuns in. UL Lafayette was 20-of-74 from the field (27 %) and 0-for-17 from the 3-point arc.
"This is the most talented frontline you will face," said head coach Jessie Evans, who fell to 1-2 in season openers. "We have to understand this is the first game. We're a much better team than we showed tonight. We held them under 40 percent in the first half in shooting, and I will try to build on things like that. I don't want to play the soft teams. I also don't want to play and be embarrassed like we were tonight."
The Cajuns did not record their first field goal until the 13:20 mark of the first half on a jumper by Blane Harmon. UL Lafayette could only muster nine first-half field goals and shots 26.5% from the field in the game's first 20 minutes. A scrappy zone defense, however, by the Cajuns helped force 13 first-half turnovers by the host-Longhorns.
Also, despite a height disadvantage playing one of the best frontcourts in the country, the Cajuns outrebounded Texas 24-23 in the opening half, including eight offensive boards to six for Texas. Foul trouble, however, took over as three Cajun frontcourt players were disqualified and the Longhorns ended up with a 57-48 board advantage.
"Mihm is a great player," Evans said. "We shot poorly, and that was a result of their defense. We'll boucne back."
The second half saw the Cajun transition offense cut the margin to eight early on before five second half fouls as only four minutes elapsed in the second half sealed the Cajuns' fate. Texas quickly built its lead up to 41-28 with 15:58 remaining, and went on a 17-5 run over the next four and a half minutes to put the game away.
UL Lafayette was whistled for 30 fouls in the game
UL Lafayette will make its home debut with a 7:05 p.m. contest next Saturday night against East Carolina at the Cajundome. The game will be a part of a doubleheader with the Cajun women's squad, who meet Navy at 4:35 p.m.
