University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK*
Cajuns Clinch Share of First Ever Sun Belt Western Division Title
2/24/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Thursday, Feb. 24, 2005
LAFAYETTE – After 34 seasons, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team won its first regular season championship of any kind. Louisiana-Lafayette clinched at least a share of its first-ever Sun Belt Conference Western Division crown with a 59-47 victory over Arkansas-Little Rock here Thursday night at Earl K. Long Gym.
The win improves the Cajuns to 12-0 at home and ties head J. Kelley Hall for the second-most wins (40) in school history.
Melissa Bratton led all scorers with a career-high 22 points, as Louisiana- Lafayette (19-8, 9-5 Sun Belt) can clinch the division outright with a win Saturday against Arkansas State. Ashley Blanche added 12 points and eight rebounds.
Reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Anna Petrakova added nine points and eight rebounds.
Alicia Cash led the Trojans (9-17, 3-10 Sun Belt) with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
UALR shot 18-for-63 (29 percent) from the floor, while the Cajuns shot 20- for-48 (42 percent).
The second half began much like the first one did for Arkansas-Little Rock.
Demetrice Preyer hit a three-pointer from the top of the key, cutting the Cajuns' lead to two, 23-21, with 19:35 left in regulation. But, the Trojans wouldn't score again for 5:30 when Cash broke the Trojans' scoring drought at the 14:05 mark.
UL Lafayette then went on 12-0 run to take its largest lead of the game, 35- 21, with 14:25 remaining. Bratton and Ashley Blanche each scored four points during the spurt. The Cajuns couldn't seem to put the Trojans away until late in the second half.
An 18-6 run in 7:23 got the Trojans to within two, 41-39, with 7:02 left to play. Lydia Gonzales keyed the Trojans' run with seven points, while Cash chipped in four.
Behind Bratton and Ashley Blanche, the Cajuns scored nine unanswered points to close the door on the Trojans, taking a 50-39 lead with just 3:07 left in regulation.
The Cajuns increased their lead to as many as 14 points, 58-44, with 26 seconds left before taking the 12-point victory.
The Cajuns came out firing in the first half. UL Lafayette took a 13-3 lead with 13:40 remaining in the first half. Melissa Bratton scored nine of the
Cajuns' first 13 points, including two driving lay-ups along the baseline. UALR's Alicia Cash scored the Trojans' first basket, a three-pointer from the left side at the 18:34 mark of the first half. The Trojans wouldn't score again until the 13:06 mark, when Cash hit a jumper in the lane, to cut the Cajuns' lead to 13-5. UALR was held without a point for 5:28.
UL Lafayette extended its lead to as many as 11 points, 19-8, with 9:51 remaining until the half. That would be the last time the Cajuns would have a double-digit lead until the second half, as the Trojans closed the first half on 10-4 run. Cash scored eight of the Trojans' final 10 points to cut the Cajuns' lead to 23-18 at the half.
Cash led all scorers with 13 points and six rebounds. Bratton led the Cajuns with nine points, while Bernette Tolston grabbed five boards.
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team will look for its first- ever perfect home season Saturday when it hosts Arkansas State at 7 p.m.
Prior to the game, the Cajuns will honor its three seniors – Anna Petrakova, Tiffany Washington and Bernie Tolston – during Senior Night festivities.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
