University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
TEXAS SOUTHERN
Jones Powers Cajuns Past Tigers
11/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2005
LAFAYETTE ? Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns ran their home court winning streak to 19 straight following Tuesday night's 78-57 victory over Texas Southern.
The Cajuns had no defensive answer for TSU's Monica Okolo, but they had an offensive answer in Yolanda Jones.
Jones lit up the Tigers for a career-high 25 points to go along with 14 rebounds, five steals, four assists and two blocks.
Okolo scored 24 points to lead TSU (0-3).
After building a nine-point lead at the break, Louisiana (4-1) methodically pulled away.
The first few minutes of the second half were sloppy, as the teams combined for 10 turnovers and five fouls.
Triples from Whitney Dunlap and Blair Brodhead, and a basket from Jones helped extend the Cajuns lead to 15, 57-42, at the 14:12 mark.
Back-to-back old fashion three-point plays from Jones and Sonora Edwards propelled the Cajuns to a 65-48 edge with 9:00 remaining.
After four points by the Tigers, UL used a 10-1 run to take their biggest lead. Onna Charles scored five points, Ashley Blanche three points and Alicia McDaniel a basket to give the Cajuns a 75-53 advantage.
Onna Charles scored 13 points as the only other player in double figures. Sherita Anderson added a career-high seven rebounds.
Five straight points from Jones brought the Cajuns out of a two-point hole and gave UL a three-point lead, 10-7, 7:45 into the first half.
Dunlap hit her first three to extend the Cajuns lead to seven, 16-9, midway through the first half.
Jones' second five-point outburst extended Louisiana's lead to double figures, 25-15, with 7:44 to play.
Okolo scored her twelfth point of the first half to trim the lead down to eight, 25-17, but Brodhead took her first career three-pointer, and buried it, to push the Cajuns lead to 11, 28-17 with 6:26 left.
As the Cajuns scored, so did Okolo. The TSU senior scored five more points around a free throw from Charles to whittle UL's lead down to 29-22 with 5:33 remaining. Okolo had 17 of the Tigers' 22 points at that point.
UL was able to get their 11-point lead back and then some. Jones put in a pair of free throws before Blanche scored on a fast break lay-up, assisted by a steal and pass from McDaniel. Charles then brought the Cajuns lead to 14 points with a triple from the corner ? snapping her personal 0-19 shooting skid.
The Tigers used a 7-2 run to end the half down nine, 42-33.
The Cajuns will hit the road for two games, before returning home for a Monday, Dec. 12 meeting with Louisiana State-Shreveport. UL plays 12 of its next 17 on the road.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
