University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Texas (Fox Sports Southwest)
Cajuns Play No. 25 Texas to a Close Game
11/13/2006 5:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
AUSTIN, Texas - No. 25 Texas didn't make its first three-point basket until 11:58 left in Monday's game, but the basket made by Tiffany Jackson triggered a 10-0 run which rallied the Longhorns to a 69-59 victory over Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team in the Basketball Travelers Classic.
The loss was the first of the 2006-07 season for Louisiana-Lafayette. Texas improved to 2-0 with the victory.
Before Jackson's bucket the Ragin' Cajuns (1-1) held a 43-42 lead with 12:10 remaining in the game on the heels of a 7-0 run.
Jackson's three-pointer gave Texas a 45-43 lead. The Longhorns defense forced a stop after the media timeout and Katrina Robinson knocked down a three-pointer from the top of the key upping the lead to 48-43.
Texas added four more points to the run after UL head coach J. Kelley Hall was whistled for a technical foul. Jackson made the two free throws and after the inbounds pass Niqky Hughes scored down low pushing the Longhorns advantage to 52-43 with 10:20 left to play.
Whitney Dunlap buried a three-pointer on the Cajuns return trip at 9:57 narrowing the UT lead to 52-46. The Longhorns responded quickly finding Earnesia Williams for a fastbreak layup seven seconds later.
On its next possession the Longhorns lead reached double figures. Williams drew a foul and made the basket at 9:15. The free throw completed the three-point play at UT led 57-46.
Onna Charles' fifth 3-pointer of the game closed the deficit to 57-49 at 8:54. Robinson converted a putback nine seconds later and the Longhorns returned the lead to double digits.
Charles led the Ragin' Cajuns with 23 points. She was a perfect 6-for-6 from three-point range. As a team, UL made eight triples.
Texas was paced by 23 points from Jackson. Hughes paced all UT reserves with 15 points off the bench
The Cajuns, who were playing shorthanded three players, only received 16 minutes from Yolanda Jones who was battling an ankle injury suffered in the Texas State game.
The Longhorns also benefited from a 21-of-29 performance at the free throw line. UL only attempted 13 free throws and made five.
The Longhorns scored the first two times they touched the ball and took a quick 4-0 lead 49 seconds into the game.
The Ragin' Cajuns were equal to the task scoring on three straight possessions between 18:53 and 17:58. Two baskets from Charles and a Jones jumper pulled UL within one point 7-6.
Charles' first three-pointer of the contest came at 16:18 and drew the Cajuns even at 9-9.
On Texas' first possession following the media timeout Erneshia Bailey cut down the baseline in the right wing and drew a foul. She made both free throws to give the Longhorns the lead 11-9.
The Cajuns defense made stops over the next minute, but back-to-back turnovers gave UT the ball again. Right before the 13 minute mark Hughes worked her way into the paint and banked home a turnaround jumper upping the Texas lead to 13-9.
Jones grabbed back-to-back offensive rebounds after a missed three-pointer by Dunlap and made a basket on the second rebound. She drew a foul and made the free throw to complete the three-point play cutting the Texas lead to 13-12 at 12:23.
The Longhorns would turn the ball back over to UL on the next possession, but Jackson made a steal near midcourt and raced in for a layup giving UT a 15-12 edge.
That would be the final field goal the Longhorns would make for the next four minutes as the Cajuns zone defense began to frustrate the hosts. The Horns would make only five field goals in the final 11 minutes of the first stanza.
Charles made her second three-pointer of the game at 10:44 pulling UL within one point at 16-15.
After a basket by Hughes at 8:07 gave the Horns a 20-15 advantage, the defense went back to work and held Texas to without a field through the 2:39 mark and eventually the Ragin' Cajuns would gain their first lead of the contest.
Charles' third triple of the game cut the deficit to 20-18 at 7:10. Jones scored inside at 6:03 getting the Cajuns within one point for the fourth time in the half at 21-20.
The Cajuns made their first run of the game as the clock moved under five minutes. Alicia McDaniel evened the score at 23-all with a jumper in the left wing. After a defensive stop, Dunlap worked her way out of traffic going full circle from the left wing to the right wing where she made a contested hook shot at 4:25 pulling the Cajun in front 25-23.
UT tied the game with two free throws from Jackson following the three-minute media timeout. McDaniel's second field goal of the game gave the Cajuns the lead again at 3:25.
A bucket by Erneisha Williams at 2:39 broke the Horns' field goal drought and tied the game at 27-27. The Cajuns turned the ball over on its next two touches and would end the half scoreless in the final 3:25.
Texas scored a basket each of the final four times they possessed the basketball and ended the half on a 10-0 run which gave the hosts a 35-27 lead.
The Cajuns offense scored on the first two possessions to start the second half and UL found itself down only four points 35-31 with 18:56 remaining in the game.
Texas responded with a four-point stretch of its own to re-establish the margin it held at the break. Erika Arriaran knocked down a turnaround jumper at 17:14 increasing the lead to 39-31.
Charles' fourth triple of the evening drew UL within five points. Her fourth make in as many tries trimmed the UT lead to 39-34 with 16:26 on the clock.
Down 40-36 Amber Williams' first three-pointer triggered a 7-0 UL run which allowed the Ragin' Cajuns to retake the lead. A layup by Sonora Edwards at 12:10 put the Cajuns in front 43-42.
The Ragin' Cajuns conclude play in the Basketball Traveler's Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 14 facing Maryland-Eastern Shore (0-3) at 5:00 p.m., in the Frank Erwin Center.
