University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
New Orleans
Cajuns Hand UNO Its First Sun Belt Loss of the Season
1/17/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Saturday, Jan. 17, 2004
With the win, the Ragin' Cajuns (7-5, 2-1 Sun Belt) bounced back from their lone home loss of the season on Thursday against South Alabama and handed UNO (8-8, 2-1 Sun Belt) its first Sun Belt loss of the season.
UL Lafayette also avoided its first losing streak of the season and won its seventh straight over the Privateers at the Cajundome.
The win was the Cajuns 12th in the last 15 meetings against UNO dating back to the 1997-98 season.
Laurie Bridges scored 18, Brad Boyd had 14 and Cedric Williams added 13 as the Cajuns placed four scorers in double-digits. It marked the ninth straight game in which at least three players scored in double-figures.
Louisiana-Lafayette made 11-of-18 three-point field goals (61 percent) including 6-of-9 in the second half.
The Cajuns shot 49 percent from the field for the game (29-of-59).
UNO received a team-best 14 points off the bench from Billy McDade.
UL Lafayette held the Privateers to just 38 percent shooting in the opening frame (9-of-24) and kept all but one of the starting five to five points or less.
Johnell Smith was UNO's only starter to reach double-digits, scoring 13.
Landry and Williams led the Cajuns with seven rebounds apiece. Nathaniel Parker led UNO with seven boards.
Saturday's game also marked the debut of Florida transfer Orien Greene for the Ragin' Cajuns. Greene scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds in 28 minutes.
Landry's final two points of the first half put Louisiana-Lafayette on top 38-28 at the half.
UL Lafayette's lead remained in double-figures throughout the second half with the exception of times when UNO cut the lead down to nine points.
UNO cut the Cajuns lead to 51-42 with 13:27 remaining in the game on an inside basket from Bo McCaleb.
On the next possession, Brian Hamilton buried a 16-foot jumper on the left baseline to put UL Lafayette's lead back into double-digits at 53-42 with 13:01 left to play.
Hamilton's bucket was the first of seven unanswered by the Cajuns that extend the lead to 58-42 at the 10:59 mark.
The closest the Privateers would get the rest of the way was 13 points.
Louisiana-Lafayette's lead reached 20 points for the first time when Boyd knocked down a three at 2:17 to give the Cajuns a 78-58 lead.
Landry's final two points, a pair of free throws with 27 seconds left, gave UL Lafayette an 85-61 lead – its largest of the contest.
Trailing 12-10 at the 13:39 mark of the first half, Louisiana-Lafayette would use an 11-2 run to open a 21-14 advantage at the 9:25 mark.
An inside basket by Bo McCaleb gave UNO a 12-10 lead at 13:39. Cedric Williams would draw the Cajuns even at 12-12 with a pair of free throws at 13:26.
Baskets by Boyd and Landry completed a stretch of six unanswered for the Cajuns.
Boyd's bucket gave the Cajuns a 14-12 lead at the 13:01 mark – a lead they would not relinquish.
McCaleb knocked down a bucket to end the run and cut the UL Lafayette lead to 16-14 with 10:54 left in the opening frame.
After the Cajuns lead reached 21-14, UNO would pull within four points at 23-19 on a three-pointer by Johnell Smith at the 6:50 mark.
Louisiana-Lafayette would then reel off eight unanswered points to open a 31-19 lead with 4:40 left before the half.
The Privateers would get within eight points, 36-28, on a three-pointer by McDade with 30 seconds left in the half.
Landry gave the Cajuns their double-digit lead back with a 16-foot jumper on the next possession.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
