University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
New Mexico State
Cajuns Close Homestand With Win Over New Mexico State
1/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Thursday, Jan. 22, 2004
For Hamilton, it was his second double-double of the season and the 15 rebounds were a new career-high.
Duane John scored 13 points to lead NMSU. The Aggies didn't reach the 50-point mark until 1:15 remained in the game.
With the win, Louisiana-Lafayette (8-5, 3-1 Sun Belt) won back-to-back games for the third time this season and ended its current three-game homestand with a 2-1 mark.
Added to a loss by South Alabama to Middle Tennessee, the Cajuns moved into first place in the Sun Belt West Division.
It was the Ragin' Cajuns fifth straight win over NMSU (7-8, 1-3 Sun Belt) and was the 120th victory in the coaching career of head coach Jessie Evans.
The loss was the third straight in league play for the Aggies who have now lost eight of their last 11 games since beginning the season 4-0.
Both teams had to fight through rough shooting nights. Louisiana-Lafayette made just 39 percent of its shots (27-of-68). NMSU made 38 percent (24-of-63). The Cajuns were just 5-of-22 (23 percent) from three-point range.
The Aggies had a 43-39 edge on the boards pulling down 17 offensive rebounds. James Felder and Kelsey Crooks each had eight boards to lead the Aggies.
Louisiana-Lafayette forced 20 Aggies turnovers including 14 in the first half.
The Aggies held the lead for the first 10-plus minutes of the opening half. NMSU led by as many as six points grabbing a 12-6 advantage on a basket by Felder at the 13:58 mark.
The Cajuns would take their first lead of the game at 9:15 when Laurie Bridges converted after an Aggies turnover into points to give UL Lafayette a 15-14 edge.
An inside basket from Crooks gave NMSU the lead 16-15 with 8:57 left to play before the break - the last time the Aggies led.
Louisiana-Lafayette would then use a 9-0 run over the next two minutes to open a 24-16 lead at the 6:49 mark.
Orien Greene, playing in his second game after being declared eligible to play last Friday, nailed an 18-foot jumper at 8:40 to put the Cajuns on top 17-16.
The Cajuns would never trail the rest of the game.
The Aggies were held to just two field goals in the final 8:57 of the half. UL Lafayette went into the locker room with a 29-22 lead.
NMSU opened the second half with a bucket from James Moore. Moore rebounded a Felder miss to cut the Cajuns lead to 29-24 at the 18:57 mark.
Hamilton would then score the Cajuns next five points as the lead went into double-digits for the remainder of the game.
The Missouri City, Texas, native tipped in a Bridges miss for the Cajuns first bucket of the second half at 18:28 and then converted the unconventional three-point play at 16:42 to give Louisiana-Lafayette a 34-24 lead.
An inside basket from Bridges at the 5:41 mark produced the Cajuns largest lead of the game, 59-41.
NMSU would get its first three-point basket of the night on the next trip down the court. Allen Haynes made a 22-foot jumper from the right wing to cut the deficit to 59-44.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
