University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Auburn
Cajuns Fall at Auburn
12/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005
AUBURN, Ala.- Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns eight game winning streak came to an end as the Auburn Tigers defeated the Cajuns 65-55 on Saturday afternoon at the Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.
With the loss, the Cajuns fall to 8-2, while the Tigers improve to 6-4.
The Cajuns' Yolanda Jones led all scorers on the afternoon, scoring 19 points. Jones also pulled down 17 rebounds to lead all players. Jones' double-double is the sixth of the year for the junior.
Senior Ashley Blanche was the only other Cajun to reach double-figures in scoring. The point guard from New Orleans scored 15 points.
Louisiana trailed just 59-54 with 3:22 remaining, but could not get any closer. The Cajuns did not score a field goal over the last 3:22. UL missed their last six field goals on the day.
UL started the second half shooting poorly, converting just a pair of field goal baskets in their first 10 attempts. The Cajuns managed just six points in the first eight minutes of the half.
Auburn took advantage of three straight three-pointers to amass a 50-34 lead with twelve minutes left to play in the game.
The Cajuns cut the lead to single digits, 56-47, outscoring the Tigers 13-to-6 with just over five-minutes to play. A pair of free throws by Jeanenne Colbert cut the lead to just seven with 4:30 left to play. Following a missed basket by Auburn, Sonora Edwards banked a lay-up off the glass to cut the lead to just five at 56-51.
The teams traded three pointers before UL went cold from the floor.
Auburn was led by Whitney Boddie and Nitasha Brown who both netted 18 points on the afternoon. Center Marita Payne led the Tigers in rebounding, pulling doing nine. Boddie and DeWanna Bonner both added eight for Auburn, as well.
The Cajuns opened the game with a quick basket from Jones and a three-point basket from Blanche to give UL a 5-0 lead.
Auburn managed a free throw, but, for the second game in a row, the Ragin' Cajuns defense held their opponent without a field goal for the first three minutes of the game.
The Tigers tied the score at eight apiece before using a 6-to-0 run to take a 14-8 lead at the 11-minute mark.
A basket by Onna Charles broke a short scoring drought from the floor for the Cajuns. Jones picked up a missed shot and banked it back to cut the Tigers lead to 14-13.
The Cajuns played strong defense in the first half to keep the game close. A basket by Blanche with just five seconds left in the fist half cut the Auburn lead to just four points heading into intermission, 32-28.
At the break, the Ragin' Cajuns were lead by Jones, who scored nine points and pulled down eight boards. Blanche and Charles both contributed seven points apiece for the Cajuns in the half.
At the half, the Cajuns and Tigers were nearly identical statistically. In the paint, Auburn outscored UL 10-to-8. Auburn scored four points off of turnovers to the Cajuns three. The Tigers edged the Cajuns 8-to-7 in second chance points in the first half, and both benches scored a pair.
The Cajuns were hurt in the first half by a 3-for-14 shooting performance from behind the arch. Also, the Cajuns committed seven fouls in the first half, which led to Auburn converting 10-of-14 free throws.
The Ragin' Cajuns will look to rebound on Wednesday, Dec. 21 when the Cajuns will travel to Thibodeaux, La. to face Nicholls State. The game against Nicholls State is set to tip off at 6:30 p.m.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
