University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Florida International
Cajuns Extend Home Win Streak With Win Over FIU
1/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Saturday, Jan. 18, 2003
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana-Lafayette's Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team led from start-to-finish here Saturday evening at the Cajundome, in front of a season-high 6,010 fans, and won its second straight Sun Belt Conference game and 16th straight at the Cajundome, 64-51 over visiting Florida International University.
Senior guard Robert Jupiter hit a career-high five three-pointers, and gave the Cajuns a team-high 17 points off the bench. Senior forward Anthony Johnson and sophomore center Michael Southall each had 13 as the Cajuns placed at least three scorers in double figures for the ninth straight game. Laurie Bridges led the Cajuns with five assists and three steals.
Louisiana-Lafayette was playing the game without the services of starting guards Brad Boyd (leading scorer with 17.3 ppg) and Kenneth Lawrence (leader in assists with 74 in 16 games). Boyd sat out Saturday's contest because of an injury suffered last Saturday and Lawrence was absent from action for family reasons.
FIU was led by a game-high 19 points from Eulis Baez on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor, however it was the Golden Panthers' team shooting which came back to haunt them. FIU shot just 8-of-25 (32 percent) in the first half as the Ragin' Cajuns opened up a 34-20 advantage at the break, the eighth straight game the Cajuns have led at halftime.
The Golden Panthers had cut the lead to three points early in the second frame, using an 11-0 run to trim the Cajuns lead to 34-31 with 16:25 left in the second half. An inside basket at 15:47 from Cedric Williams got the Cajuns on the board in the second stanza for the first time
Jupiter made three three-point shots during a pivotal 15-2 run for the Cajuns midway through the second half which helped them turn a three-point advantage (36-33) into a 16-point cushion, 51-35, with 7:49 to play in the game.
The lead remained in double digits the rest of the half with the closest FIU closing to being 11 points at 58-47 with 3:03 left in the game.
The Cajuns defense held the Golden Panthers without a three-pointer in the game (0-for-15) and forced 20 turnovers. UL Lafayette committed just three first-half turnovers and ended the game with 13 ending a trend of three straight games with more turnovers than the opposition.
FIU outrebounded the Cajuns 43-32, the first time in six games that the Cajuns had lost the battle of the boards. Bamba Belco led the Golden Panthers with a game-high nine rebounds. Southall led the Cajuns eight rebounds.
Both teams came out of the gates sluggish. Only two points were scored between both clubs until Antoine Landry hit a three-point basket with 16:14 left in the first half to give the Cajuns a 5-0 lead. FIU finally got on the board with a Baez 15-foot jumper from the left of the key at 15:53.
Landry's second three-pointer of the game gave UL Lafayette an 8-2 lead at 14:37. The Golden Panthers would cut the lead to three points, 12-9, with 11:29 left in the first half with a Baez inside hoop plus the free throw.
Louisiana-Lafayette used a 9-3 run, aided by two Jupiter three-pointers, to stretch the lead to 21-12 with 7:57 to go before the half. After FIU cut the lead to 25-18 with two Bamba freebies, the Cajuns outscored the Golden Panthers 9-2 in the final 4:27 of the first half to open the 14-point halftime edge.
The Ragin' Cajuns will now take a week off before returning to action Saturday, Jan. 25 against Sun Belt East Division opponent Middle Tennessee at 7:05 p.m. in the Cajundome.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
