University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Denver
Cajuns Fall to Pioneers Again
2/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Saturday, Feb. 5, 2005
The loss snaps Louisiana's seven-game winning steak.
Tied 67-67 with 5:56 remaining, the Cajuns scored just two baskets the remainder of the game.
As they had all game, Yemi Nicholson and Erik Benzel answered for the Pioneers, propelling DU to a 72-67 lead with under five minutes to play.
After a triple from Orien Greene cut the Cajuns deficit to two points, Nicholson added three points over two possessions to boost DU's lead back to five.
Mitchell's tip-in cut the score to 75-72 with 1:55 to play, but the Cajuns would not score again in the contest. Turnovers cost the Cajuns, as UL committed 21 miscues.
Nicholson led all players with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Benzel added 22 points, including six three pointers.
The Cajuns were led by 21 points from Greene. Three other Cajuns hit double figures, including 15 from Brian Hamilton – his 13th consecutive game scoring in double digits.
In a similar fashion to the first half, the Cajuns started the second half slowly.
Already leading by five, DU scored the first five points of the second half to build a 10-point advantage.
From there, Louisiana turned up the intensity on the defensive end, allowing only three baskets over the next 5:33.
Cajuns defense led to offense, as UL used an 18-7 surge to take a 53-52 lead with 13:07 remaining. Several Cajuns contributed, led by seven points from Tiras Wade and six points from Dwayne Mitchell.
Benzel stopped the Cajuns run and ignited the Pioneers offense. Benzel's three pointer gave DU the lead back, 55-53. Then his steal led to an alley-oop basket from Rodney Billups to Nicholson. Benzel then tossed his own alley-oop pass to Nicholson to cap a 9-2 run, giving Denver a 61-55 lead at 10:54.
Wade and Greene led the Cajuns charge back, a 12-6 spurt that tied the game at 67-67. Wade hit three consecutive baskets for the Cajuns before Greene converted an offensive rebound inside to knot the game.
Louisiana dominated on the boards 38-26, but shot only 43 percent in the game compared to Denver's 53 percent.
The Pioneers shot 58 percent in the first frame, compared to just 45 percent by the Cajuns. The Cajuns committed more turnovers (13) in the first half, than they did in the first meeting (12) between the two teams. Remarkably, UL trailed at the half by only five, the same figure as in the first meeting.
The Cajuns came out sluggish on the defensive end, falling behind 10-5 in the game's first four minutes. UL battled back to tie the game at 19-19 midway through the half thanks to eight points by Greene.
Louisiana eventually took the lead on a three-point play by Hamilton. Hamilton's free throw gave UL a 29-27 edge with 6:33 to play in the first stanza.
Turnovers plagued the Cajuns, especially in the final six minutes of the first half. Unforced errors eliminated scoring chances as the Cajuns committed seven turnovers in the final 6:05.
Denver benefited from the Cajuns giveaways, using an 11-3 run to take a 38-32 lead with 2:13 showing on the clock.
A long three pointer by Greene at the 1:01 mark cut the Cajuns deficit to three, 38-35, but Billups two free throws accounted for the only scoring in the final minute. DU carried a 40-35 lead at the break.
The Cajuns return home for a four-game homestand, beginning with a Thursday contest against South Alabama and highlighted by a Saturday, February 12 game vs. New Orleans on ESPN+.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
