University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Bethune-Cookman
Second-Half Surge Leads Cajuns Past Bethune-Cookman
12/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2002
The Cajuns used a 15-0 run in the final four minutes of the game to stretch an 11-point, 63-52 lead, into a 78-52 advantage.
With the win, UL Lafayette tied the school record for consecutive wins at the Cajundome with its 14th straight win within the friendly confines. The Cajuns won their third straight overall and improve to 4-2 on the season. BC-C fell to 1-4 and were playing their fifth straight road game to open the season and first game since Dec. 6
Anthony Johnson and Michael Southall led the Cajuns with 20 points apiece followed by Brad Boyd's 19. Laurie Bridges tallied 12 points off the bench for the Cajuns as UL Lafayette placed at least four players in double figures for the third straight game.
The Wildcats were led by Richard Toussaint's 22 points, which were also a game-high.
UL Lafayette shot 30-for-56 from the floor for the game, a 53.6 percentage. It marked the fourth straight game in which the Cajuns shot above 50 percent. The Cajuns shot 69 percent (20-of-29) in the second half after struggling from the field in the first half going 10-of-27 (37 percent).
Johnson led the Cajuns with 11 rebounds and UL Lafayette outrebounded BC-C 32-30 for the game. Boyd and Kenneth Lawrence each had a team-high five assists.
Louisiana-Lafayette was in a tight game six minutes into the second half. The Cajuns led by just one at the break, 29-28.
After a Maurice Riddick three-point basket with 14:00 left to play tied the game at 40-40, the Cajuns began to pull away.
UL Lafayette used a 13-2 run over the next four minutes to take a 53-42 advantage with 9:56 remaining in the game. BC-C would trim the lead to six on a Toussaint basket with 7:39 left to play, cutting the Cajuns lead to 55-49. UL Lafayette rebuilt its lead to double digits with a Boyd three-pointer and a Johnson slam, taking a 60-49 lead with 6:37 remaining.
BC-C scored the games first eight points. Diondre Larmond hit a three-pointer at the top of the key to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead at 19:39.
Pape Ba would rebound a Larmond miss for his first basket of the game at 17:59 and BC-C would lead 5-0. A Markey Picard driving layup and a Ba free throw extended the Wildcats lead to 8-0 with 16:22 left in the first half.
The Cajuns were held scoreless by BC-C through the games first four minutes and wouldn't put a point on the board until a pair of Laurie Bridges free throws at 15:49.
Bridges' freebies were the start of a 9-0 run for UL Lafayette over the next 2 ˝ minutes. The Cajuns took their first lead of the game, 10-9, when Michael Southall stuffed home a Brad Boyd missed three-point attempt at 13:19.
After that point, the remainder of the first half of featured alternating scoring spurts which changed the lead three times.
BC-C ended the Cajuns first run with a Richard Toussaint basket at 12:15 to regain the lead 11-10. UL Lafayette responded with baskets from Bridges and Anthony Johnson to lead 13-10 with 11:29 on the clock.
The Wildcats would then use a 6-0 run over the next minute to grab a 16-13 lead. Toussaint and Michael Williams were the catalysts for the BC-C with Toussaint making two free throws and driving the lane, with the latter completing the Wildcats run.
An ensuing 7-0 run by Louisiana-Lafayette gave the Cajuns a 20-16 lead at 7:22. A Brad Boyd three-pointer tied the game 16-16 and spearheaded the run. A Cedric Williams inside layup off an inbounds pass rounded out the Cajuns run.
BC-C followed suit with a run of its own. A 5-0 run provided the fifth lead change of the half and gave the Wildcats a 21-20 lead after a Maurice Riddick three-point basket.
Free throws by Southall and Boyd at 5:27 and 4:10 respectively gave UL Lafayette the lead back at 22-21, a lead they would not surrender the rest of the half nor the game. The Cajuns stretched out the lead with yet another run, this time a 6-0 run to provide a 26-21 advantage.
BC-C would tie the game at 26-26 on a Riddick three-pointer at 1:12. An inside layup from Southall handed the Cajuns the lead once more, 28-26 with 50 ticks left in the first half. Louisiana-Lafayette went to the locker room in front 29-28.
Bridges led the Cajuns at the half with eight points off the bench. UL Lafayette struggled from the floor shooting 34.6 percent (9-of-26) including 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) from the free throw line.
UP NEXT: The Cajuns will travel to Berkeley, Calif., for the EA Sports Golden Bear Classic hosted by the University of California at Berkeley Dec. 20-21. UL Lafayette will face Detroit in the first round on Friday, Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m. (CST).
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