University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
* New Mexico State
Cajuns Stumble Against Aggies
1/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns struggled again in the Pan American Center, falling to New Mexico State by a final of 59-44 on Thursday night in Las Cruces, N.M.
The Aggies improve to 8-8 (2-2), while the Cajuns fall to 8-7 (2-2). NMS is now 6-1 at home this season and 4-0 all-time at home against UL Lafayette.
A pair of baskets by the Aggies in the first two minutes of the second half gave the hosts a 27-17 lead.
A line-up with Ansley Bienvenu, Kayla Edwards, Sharee Glenn, Nakita Scott and Tiffany Washington went on an 11-2 run to pull the Cajuns within a point, 29-28, with 12:53 remaining.
A basket by Washington was followed by a three-pointer from Bienvenu, her first points as a Cajun. After a pair of free throws by Princess Moore, Scott, Bienvenu and Glenn hit baskets to pull the Cajuns within one.
The Cajuns starters returned and the Aggies immediately went on a 12-4 run to take a 41-32 lead with 7:36 remaining.
UL Lafayette chipped away at their deficit with a 10-5 spurt led by a pair of baskets from Bienvenu.
The Aggies quickly countered with an 8-0 surge to take a 54-42 lead with 2:34 left.
Anna Petrakova led the Cajuns with 19 points and nine rebounds. Bienvenu, playing in her first game of the season, tallied 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting. Petrakova and Bienvenu made 10 of the Cajuns 15 baskets from the floor, and eight of the Cajuns 10 free throws. The Cajuns shot 32.6 percent, while the Aggies shot 35.4 percent.
Sinnamonn Garrett led the hosts with 21 points and has scored 44 points in the last two meetings.
Both teams struggled in the opening half, combining to shoot just 26 percent. The Cajuns made only five field goals, four coming from Anna Petrakova.
Two straight baskets by Petrakova gave the Cajuns an 11-5 lead 5:15 into the game. A 6-0 Aggies run tied the score with nine minutes of play elapsed.
Both teams went scoreless for the next 4:35 until a three-pointer by Garrett gave NMS a 14-11 lead.
Petrakova hit a lay-up with 4:16 left in the half, cutting the Aggies lead with 14-13. The junior center had all of the Cajuns offense the rest of the half, with four free throws in the final two minutes. The Aggies used a 9-4 run following Petrakova's basket to close the half up 23-17.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
