University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Rice
Cajuns Bracket-"Busted" at Rice
2/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2004
The Owls (18-7) went to the free throw line 32 times, compared to just five trips to the stripe by the Cajuns.
The Cajuns (15-7) squandered an 11-point second half lead, but came back to tie the contest at 66-66 with 2:43 remaining.
After Rashid Smith and Dwayne Mitchell traded baskets, Rice used a series of offensive rebounds to work to the foul line. Jamaal Moore hit a pair of free throws, then stole the in-bounds pass and made the lay-up to give Rice a 72-68 lead.
A second straight Cajuns turnover would lead to a pair from the stripe by Jason McKrieth and a 74-68 Rice lead. The Owls held onto their lead thanks to converting seven of eight free throw attempts in the final 30 seconds.
Mitchell led the Cajuns with 21 points, while Brian Hamilton contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds. Orien Greene added 12 points.
Michael Harris led Rice with 27 points and 14 boards. McKrieth poured in 20 points and Moore 12 points.
After McKrieth opened the second half with a free throw, the Cajuns went on a 7-0 run to take a 46-35 lead. Mitchell, Chris Cameron and a three-point play by Hamilton in 1:10 helped UL Lafayette take their largest lead of the second half.
Rice used six unanswered points to close back within five points, but the Cajuns quickly pushed their lead up to double-digits, 51-41, on a three-point play by Laurie Bridges and basket from Cedric Williams.
Cajuns turnovers resulted in another Rice run. The Owls 17-2 boost gave the hosts their first lead since early in the opening half. Rice ran up a 58-53 lead with 9:37 left in the game.
Hamilton stopped the Cajuns 4:56 scoreless drought and brought the visitor's within 58-55 at the 9:09 mark. After a free throw by Moore, Brad Boyd nailed his second three-pointer to help the Cajuns get within one-point, 59-58, with less than seven minutes to play.
With Rice up 61-58, a fight ensued between Yamar Diene and Williams at the 4:28 mark. It appeared as though Diene threw the only punches, but both players were ejected.
A McKrieth jumper followed to give the Owls a 63-58 lead with 4:21 of basketball remaining.
Boyd hit another triple to close the Cajuns within a bucket, 63-61, at the 4:04 mark. Just nine seconds later, Cameron was called for his fifth foul and was disqualified.
Two Harris' free throws were answered by a three-pointer from Greene. Harris made another from the stripe before a Mitchell basket tied the game at 66-66.
After shooting 53 percent in the first half, the Cajuns shot only 43 percent in the second half. UL Lafayette committed 21 turnovers, many which led to baskets by the Owls.
The Cajuns led by 12 points with under two minutes to play in the first half, but held only a five-point edge entering the second frame.
McKrieth opened the game with two baskets for Rice, but the Cajuns responded with a 12-0 run. A three-pointer sat at the top and bottom of the run beginning with Antoine Landry and ending with Greene. In between, the Cajuns used a pair of free throws by Hamilton and buckets by Mitchell and Hamilton.
The Rice scoreless drought ended at 4:34 with a basket by Moore.
The Cajuns came back with a three-pointer from Boyd, a lay-up by Williams and jumper from Greene to take a 19-6 lead with 11:08 remaining in the first half.
Several Cajuns turnovers contributed to an 8-2 run by Rice, as the Owls closed within 21-14 at the 8:19 mark.
UL Lafayette came back with a jumper from Hamilton and a dunk by Mitchell to extend their back to double-figures, 25-14.
The Owls made another run with the help of a pair of Cajuns turnovers. An 8-3 jolt of offense by the hosts cut the Cajuns lead to 28-22 with 5:27 on the clock.
The Cajuns responded again to the Rice run. UL Lafayette took their edge back to 12 points with a 9-3 run. The 37-25 lead was helped by five points from Landry and baskets by Mitchell and Hamilton.
Rice ended the half on a 9-2 burst to close the first stanza down only five points. The Owls five point deficit was the closest margin since the 16:36 mark.
Notes: The Cajuns have made a three-pointer in 70 consecutive games…Monday's game at North Texas is the final contest in a five-game road trip…The Cajuns have shot 56, 25, 53 and 48 percent in the first four games of the road swing, going 2-2…The game at Rice was the first meeting between the schools in 26 years…The Cajuns loss at Rice was the first this season when allowing 80 or more points…Brad Boyd made a trio of three-pointers and now sits two triples behind tying the school career record of 253…Boyd has made two or more three's in 20 of 22 games this season.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
