University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns fall to Florida International in final game
3/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 6, 2003
BOWLING GREEN, KY - The University of Louisiana at Lafayette women's basketball team entered the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on a three-game winning streak to end the regular season, but entered the post-season having never won a conference tournament game in school history.
The Ragin' Cajuns post-season drought continued with a 77-41 loss at the hands of Florida International on Thursday's opening day of the SBC tournament from Bowling Green, Kentucky.
An out-matched and exhausted Cajuns squad could not run with the bigger and stronger Golden Panthers. FIU, which averaged nearly three-inches taller per starter, won the game with a dominant first half. FIU had two players in double figures in the opening 20 minutes, which saw them build a 44-22 lead at the break.
The Cajuns? 44 points allowed in the first half was the second largest of the season. UL Lafayette allowed 47 points in the first half, ironically on the same floor, when the team played at Western Kentucky on Jan. 23.
As she has for the last two years, Cormisha Cotton dominated UL Lafayette. The senior forward recorded 11 points and 12 rebounds in the first half alone.
FIU opened the game with a 9-0 run, until a basket by Sharee Glenn put the Cajuns on the board with 16:45 to play.
UL Lafayette closed to 9-6, but a three pointer by Ivelina Vrancheva started an 8-2 Golden Panthers run, putting the Cajuns down 17-8.
Baskets by Brooke Williams and Glenn cut the FIU lead to only five points, but the Golden Panthers catapulted in front with a 14-4 run, upping the score to 31-16 with 6:10 left in the opening half.
A triple from Glenn and a pair of free throws by Sarah Richey helped the Cajuns get within 12 points, 33-21, with 3:57 remaining.
FIU responded with an 11-1 run to close out the half leading by 22 points.
After the team's played nearly even in the first eight minutes of the second half, a 9-0 run by the Golden Panthers crushed any hopes the Cajuns had of a comeback. FIU led 63-31 with 8:45 to play.
Glenn scored a game-high 13 points for the Cajuns. In the final game of their careers, Williams and Richey scored 12 and six points, respectively.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
