University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Denver
Landry's Buzzer-Beater Lifts Cajuns In Sun Belt Opener
1/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2004
DENVER - With three seconds remaining in
the game, Antoine Landry grabbed the inbounds pass from
Dwayne Mitchell, raced his way down the court, made his way
inside the wing and kissed a shot off the glass for
the game-winning basket as the horn sounded, as Louisiana's
Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team rallied for an 83-81 Sun
Belt Conference victory over the University of Denver here
Saturday evening at Hamilton
Gym.
Landry's basket capped off a 14-3 run by the Ragin' Cajuns
(6-4, 1-0 Sun Belt) over the final 3:19 of the game which
helped Louisiana-Lafayette erase a 78-69 deficit.
It was a three-point basket by Landry with just eight
seconds remaining in the game that tied it up at 81-81.
On the ensuing possession, following a timeout called by UL
Lafayette's head coach Jessie Evans, Denver's Erik Benzel
was driving down the left
baseline when his left foot slipped and landed on the line
turning the ball back over to the Cajuns.
Following another timeout, Mitchell found Landry near
halfcourt to set up the clutch shot by the reigning Sun Belt
Conference Player of the Week.
With the win, the Cajuns won their second straight overall
for the second time this season and won their ninth
consecutive Sun Belt opener
dating back to the 1994-95 regular season. UL Lafayette is
now 7-0 in SBC openers under Evans.
The Cajuns also picked up their first win on an opponent's
home court this season.
The loss snapped a four-game win streak by the Pioneers
(8-5, 0-1 Sun Belt) and keeps them winless in the regular
season against Louisiana-Lafayette (0-9).
It marked the second straight season that the Cajuns posted
a win over DU in Hamilton Gym - the only two losses all-time
by the Pioneers in their alternate facility.
Landry along with Brad Boyd and Brian Hamilton each scored
18 points to lead UL Lafayette.
Cedric Williams scored 12 as the Cajuns placed four scorers
in double-figures - the seventh straight game in which at
least three players scored in double-figures.
Mitchell led the Cajuns with six assists and a quartet of
players each had five rebounds.
The Cajuns were able to overcome a sluggish second-half
shooting performance in which they shot just 35 percent.
Louisiana-Lafayette
made four of its last six shots.
Denver received a game-high 21 points from Zeljko Zupic.
Zupic also had a game-high 12 rebounds to post a
double-double.
The Pioneers outrebounded the Cajuns 40-31, but were done in
by their 20 turnovers. DU had four crucial turnovers in the
final 3:19 of the game.
The Cajuns held an eight-point lead, 41-33, at the half and
had the momentum in their favor after ending the first half
on a 9-0 run.
Louisiana-Lafayette gained its largest lead of the game
after a three-point basket by Brad Boyd at the 17:09 mark of
the second half made it 46-37.
Denver would seem to take control of the contest after
Boyd's bucket.
The Pioneers would use a 19-2 run over the next three-plus
minutes to open a 56-48 margin with 13:28 remaining in the
game.
DU led by as many as 10 points with 10 minutes left to play
after an inside basket by Zupic made it 62-52 at the 10:12
mark.
Louisiana-Lafayette would close within four points at 69-65
with 6:08 remaining after a pair of freebies from Hamilton.
Benzel converted a three on the other end for the Pioneers,
a 27-foot bomb that made it 72-65 at the 5:27 mark.
Denver would push the lead back to what seemed to be a
comfortable nine-point advantage at the final media timeout.
McAlister sank a pair of free throws at the 3:19 mark that
created a 78-69 lead for DU.
From there, the Cajuns closed the contest with its decisive
14-3 run.
McAlister, Denver's leading free throw shooter at 79 percent
entering Saturday's game, missed the front end of a two-shot
foul with 14 seconds left and DU up 80-78.
McAlister made just one and the Pioneers were unable to
create a two-possession game.
Landry came down the court and tied the game for UL
Lafayette.
Benzel's turnover came next and was followed by Landry's
heroics.
The first half featured a series of scoring runs by both
teams that kept the lead changing hands. There were 10 lead
changes alone in the first
half.
The final lead change of the half sparked the largest
scoring run of the opening frame for the Ragin' Cajuns. UL
Lafayette scored the final nine
points of the half to create a 41-33 advantage at the break.
Trailing 33-32 at the 2:05 mark after a pair of free throws
from Yemi Nicholson, Williams converted an inside basket at
the 1:51 mark to put the Cajuns in front 34-33.
After a missed three-pointer by Zupic on Denver's ensuing
possession, Boyd nailed his second three-point basket of the
half to increase UL Lafayette's margin to four points at
37-33.
Louisiana-Lafayette would force a Denver turnover on the
next possession and Boyd received the outlet pass from
Mitchell for an easy layup to make it 39-33 and force a DU
timeout.
Hamilton scored the final basket of the half to cap off the
8-0 run.
UL Lafayette made its last five field goals in the final
three minutes of the half and forced DU into three
turnovers. The Pioneers missed their final three attempts of
the half as the Cajuns erased a 31-30 deficit from the final
media timeout of the first half.
The Cajuns shot 55 percent (16-of-29) in the opening half
with 13 field goals coming inside the arc. The Pioneers
faded down the stretch and ended the half at 46 percent
(11-of-24).
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
