University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
McNeese State
Cajuns Even Season Record With Win Over McNeese
12/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Monday, Dec. 15, 2003
Leading 51-47 Laurie Bridges nailed a 14-foot jump shot in the lane to begin the decisive run at the 11:38 mark for the Cajuns (2-2).
Following a free throw from Brian Hamilton senior Brad Boyd drilled a three-point basket at the 10:40 mark to put UL Lafayette in front 57-47 - its first double-digit lead of the game.
After a missed shot by McNeese (3-4) on the ensuing possession Hamilton would drive the lane for another two points, forcing a timeout by the Cowboys.
Cedric Williams completed the run and a two-minute scoring drought at the 8:59 mark and the Cajuns led 61-47.
McNeese would close within five points at the 1:22 mark. Trailing 65-52 with 6:04 remaining in the game the Cowboys opened a 10-3 run to cut the Cajuns led to six points at 68-62 with 3:30 left to play.
After Louisiana-Lafayette jumped back out to a 10-point lead, 72-62 with 2:11 remaining, the Cowboys made their final comeback attempt with a slam by Bryce May and then a three-pointer by Greg Tucker on the following possession to close within five at 72-67 with 1:22 left to play.
Jerrick Oliver would pick up a steal for MSU on the Cajuns next possession, but Boyd came right back and made a steal of his own to set up Bridges with an inside basket with 29 seconds remaining to make it 74-67.
UL Lafayette would then finish off the game at the free throw line.
With the win the Cajuns evened their season record at 2-2 and picked up their first win over a Division I team. It was also UL Lafayette's 21st win in the last 25 meetings in the series.
McNeese fell below .500 and remains winless against Division I teams.
Boyd led all players with 19 points and made 5-of-9 three-point field goals to extend his streak of consecutive games with at least one three-pointer made to 22 straight games.
Bridges scored 17 and Hamilton 10 as Louisiana-Lafayette placed three players in double-figures scoring. Chris Cameron led the Cajuns with seven rebounds
Oliver led MSU with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting. The Cowboys had three players in double-figures as well as Marcus Watts and Eldridge Lewis scored 14 and 11 respectively.
Oliver contributed a game-high eight rebounds while Lewis tallied a game-high nine assists.
MSU ended the game with a 33-27 advantage in the rebound department.
UL Lafayette made 27-of-38 free throws to just 7-of-10 from McNeese. Bridges made a game-high seven freebies.
Louisiana-Lafayette trailed in the early stages of the first half. McNeese jumped out to a 17-13 lead at the 13:06 mark.
The Cajuns would take control of the game and the first half when Dwayne Mitchell, a transfer from Auburn making his Ragin' Cajuns debut, stepped onto the court. UL Lafayette would respond with a 15-2 run that spotted them a 28-19 lead with 9:32 left in the first half.
McNeese rallied to trim the halftime deficit down to one point. Trailing 30-21 with 8:22 left in the first stanza, the Cowboys used a 9-0 run capped off by a three-point basket by Lewis at the 5:14 mark to tie the game 30-30.
The two teams went back-and-forth the remainder of the half with McNeese regaining the lead on a pair of free throws from Watts with 18 seconds left.
Chris Cameron would knock down a 15-foot jumper on the left side of the lane on the last possession of the first half to give the Cajuns the lead at the break 38-37.
UL Lafayette solidified its control of the contest by opening the second half on a 8-2.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
