University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
New Mexico State
Cajuns Reach Double-Digit Sun Belt Wins For Fifth Straight Season
2/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2004
Louisiana-Lafayette (15-6, 10-2 Sun Belt) bounced back from a season-low 25 percent field goal performance last Saturday at New Orleans by connecting on 53 percent of its shots here Wednesday night en route to claiming a 76-58 victory over host-New Mexico State (11-12, 5-7 Sun Belt) at the Pan American Center.
The Cajuns were sparked by a 17-0 first-half run which turned a four-point deficit eight minutes into the contest into a 13-point lead 13 minutes in, as they claimed their 10th Sun Belt win of the season and avoided the first losing streak of the season.
UL Lafayette received a balanced scoring effort placing four scorers in double-figures led by a team-high 17 points from both Orien Greene and Brian Hamilton.
Louisiana-Lafayette won its sixth straight over NMSU and swept the season series between the two Sun Belt West Division foes for the third straight season.
The Cajuns held a nine-point lead at the half at 36-27 and would stretch the margin to 17 points with 13:47 left to play after making 7-of-8 shots to open the second half.
Laurie Bridges began the second half with a three-pointer on the right wing to increase the lead to 39-27.
The Aggies would climb back within 10 points after two freebies from James Moore made it 41-31 with 17:35 left in the game. A three-pointer from Greene on the next possession stretched the Cajuns lead back to 13.
After NMSU pulled within 51-38 on a three-point basket by Byron Davis, the Cajuns scored the next four points prompting a timeout from the Aggies.
A three-pointer from Brad Boyd gave the Cajuns their largest lead of the night at 55-38.
A free throw from Hamilton at 13:08 pushed the Cajuns lead to 56-38.
Trailing 60-44 with 10:35 left to play, NMSU would outscore UL Lafayette 11-3 to get the deficit under double-digits at 63-55.
Following a timeout, Louisiana-Lafayette scored seven unanswered to stretch the lead back into double-digits.
The Cajuns got off to a slow start over the first eight minutes of the game. At the 11:32 mark and second media timeout, Louisiana-Lafayette had just one field goal made, six turnovers and trailed the Aggies 8-5.
A Cedric Williams free throw at 11:57 sparked the beginning of a 17-0 Cajuns run over the next five minutes as UL Lafayette jumped out in front 21-8 with 6:55 remaining in the half.
Brad Boyd, who did not start the game, made his first three pointer of the night off the inbounds pass following the media timeout to tie the game 8-8.
Williams put back his own miss on the Cajuns next trip down the floor to give Louisiana-Lafayette 10-8 lead.
Louisiana-Lafayette would go on to score 11 more points and the Aggies continued to struggle shooting the ball.
During the Cajuns scoring run, NMSU went scoreless from the 13:54 mark and turned the ball over five times.
A three-point basket from Kelsey Crooks at 6:55 ended the drought.
After Crooks' three, the Cajuns got a pair of baskets in transition with a reverse layup from Orien Greene pushing the advantage to 25-11.
NMSU then used a 7-0 run with a three-point basket by Crooks spurring the charge that trimmed the Cajuns lead to 25-18 at 4:37.
Louisiana-Lafayette would extend its lead to 12 points after Greene made his first three-pointer of the game at 1:42 made it 36-24.
The Aggies score the half's final three points to cut the deficit to 36-27.
The Cajuns shot 48 percent in the first half (14-of-29) and made 13-of-22 shots in the final 11:32 of the half. UL Lafayette collected six steals and forced the Aggies into 12 turnovers.
NMSU struggled from the floor shooting just 28 percent (9-of-32) in the opening frame. The Aggies opened the game with just three field goals in their first 22 attempts.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
