University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
NORTH TEXAS*
Cajuns Lose to North Texas
1/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Saturday, January 7, 2006
LAFAYETTE - All good things must come to an end.
The nation's fourth longest home court winning streak was halted Saturday evening as North Texas snapped Louisiana-Lafayette's 22-game home winning streak by way of a 70-47 decision at Earl K. Long Gym.
The Cajuns last loss at home came on Jan. 31, 2004, when UL fell 72-57 to Middle Tennessee.
Louisiana (11-3, 1-1) carried a 17-point deficit into the second half.
After North Texas (12-2, 2-0) started the half with a basket from Talicia Sanders, the Cajuns got some momentum with a 6-1 spurt. The momentum abruptly ended when Mia Ajekwu drilled only her second three-pointer of the season.
Ajekwu's basket prompted an 8-0 run by the Mean Green to build a 22-point advantage, 43-21, just 4:35 into the second half.
The NT defense continued to disrupt the Cajuns offense, as UL was never able to get closer than 18 points for the rest of the half.
Louisiana's 47 points are the fewest scored at home since the Cajuns scored 37 points in a 62-37 loss to South Alabama on Jan. 9, 2003. Saturday's 23-point loss is the worst home loss since the 25-point loss to the Jaguars.
Yolanda Jones led the Cajuns with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Ashley Blanche chipped-in 14 points.
The Mean Green started the game outscoring the Cajuns 11-5 in large part to 5-of-7 shooting.
The NT lead was at least four points over the next eight minutes.
The Cajuns then went ice cold from the floor. An 8-0 run by North Texas lifted Louisiana's deficit to 13 points, 26-13, at the 5:25 mark.
A running jumper by Blanche at 4:08 stopped the Cajuns scoreless drought, but UL remained in a double-figure hole.
Blanche's jumper proved to be the only bucket the Cajuns would score the rest of the half. North Texas scored three more baskets over that span to grab a 32-15 lead at the break.
UL finished the half 1-of-14 shooting and 0-of-5 from three-point range en route to a 23 percent (7-31) effort from the floor in the entire half. The Cajuns were unsuccessful in 10 first half attempts from behind the arc.
The Cajuns will embark on one of the toughest conference stretches in the country, as the team will play seven of its next eight Sun Belt games on the road.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
