University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
New Mexico State*
Cajuns Top New Mexico State
2/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 19, 2005
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns earned a huge road victory on Saturday evening thanks to a 72-57 win at New Mexico State. The win was the first for Cajuns at the Pan American Center, and just their third Sun Belt Conference road victory.
Louisiana (18-8, 8-5) trailed in the game for just 48 seconds, all coming in the first half.
The Cajuns 18 wins mark the second-best single season total in school history, while their eight conference victories are the most in school history.
With the win, head coach J. Kelley Hall moves within one coaching victory of the second-most in school history.
NMS (8-17, 3-10) made it close in the first 10 minutes of the second half, but UL turned up their defense and intensified their rebounding to pull away.
The Aggies started the second half with a 6-0 run to cut the Cajuns lead to just three.
UL battled back to extend its lead to eight points, 45-37, with the help of a three by Ashley Blanche.
Blanche then added three from the line and Anna Petrakova provided an offensive rebound and put-back to help boost the Cajuns lead to nine, 50-41, with 12:26 on the clock.
Trecha Kennedy hit two threes for the Aggies to trim the Cajuns lead to five, but the Cajuns responded again.
UL held NMS scoreless for the next 6:15 and without a field goal for the next 7:18.
A 15-0 scoring burst put the Cajuns ahead by 20 points with 4:28 to play.
Bernette Tolston started the scoring with a free throw, followed by one from the line by Petrakova. Tiffany Washington added a three-pointer before consecutive lay-ups by Blanche. Melissa Bratton hit two from the line and then Sherita Anderson added two scores in the paint.
Blanche led four Cajuns in double figures with 17 points. Tolston added 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds – her second career double-double. Petrakova had 13 points and 11 rebounds for her 27th career double-double and 12th this season. Petrakova passed Lisa Merritt and now ranks second in school history with 725 career rebounds. Bratton finished with 12 points.
Louisiana led by nine points at the half thanks to 44.4 percent shooting, including 4-of-7 from long distance. UL is now 16-0 this season when leading at the half.
The Cajuns charged out to a quick 7-2 lead, but the Aggies came back to tie the game at 7-7. UL countered with five unanswered, including three from the stripe by Bratton.
A 7-0 run by the Aggies gave the hosts their first lead, 19-18, with 9:33 to play in the first half.
The Cajuns followed with an 18-7 run over a 7:22 span to grab a 10-point lead late in the half.
Sonora Edwards momentarily gave the Cajuns back the lead with two free throws, but after an Aggies basket, Bratton's three-pointer reclaimed the lead again for UL.
Tiffany Washington followed with consecutive baskets to increase the Cajuns lead to six. Tolston added a three before Blanche followed with a bucket and a triple.
Bratton's free throw capped the run and gave the Cajuns their first double-digit lead of the contest, 36-26, with 1:42 remaining in the first.
Monique Bribiescas hit a three-pointer for NMS, but Tolston ended the scoring in the half with two free throws after Aggies head coach Darin Spence was charged with a technical foul.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
