University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
New Orleans
Privateers Take Fast-Paced Contest from the Cajuns
12/13/2006 5:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NEW ORLEANS - A three-minute scoring drought late in the second half was the difference as Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team fell to UNO 80-76 in a fast-paced contest here Wednesday evening at the Human Performance Center.
In a game that was tied 11 times it was a three-point basket by Willie Lago with 6:49 remaining that pulled the Ragin' Cajuns (2-7, 0-1 Sun Belt) into a 62-all tie. The tie was brief as only 29 seconds later Jamie McNeilly would make a three-pointer putting UNO back in front 65-62 ? a lead the hosts would hold onto in the final minutes of the game.
When Ross Mouton banked home a shot off an inbounds pass at 5:56 it pulled the Cajuns within one point, 65-64, but that would be the final points that UL would score until two David Dees free throws with 2:32 remaining.
The Privateers (4-6, 1-0 Sun Belt) scored six unanswered points during the time frame to extend their lead to 71-64 ending on a James Parlow jumper with 2:50 left in the game.
The Ragin' Cajuns got three-pointers from Dees and Rhett Hebert in the final seconds to trim the deficit to five points and then four points, respectively. The Privateers connected on their free throws to hold off the UL charge.
The loss was the second straight for the Ragin' Cajuns who dropped their Sun Belt opener for the third straight season. The defeat ended UL's five-game winning streak over UNO.
UL, which hit 11-of-12 shots to start the game and hit 63 percent from the floor in the first half, was held to 38 percent (14-of-37) in the decisive second half as UNO outscored the Cajuns 37-33.
Three Cajuns scored in double figures led by 18 points from Dees ? his fifth game this season with 18 points. Mouton had 17 and Abray Milson contributed a season-high 12 points.
The Privateers were bolstered by a career-high 36 points from Bo McCalebb. He was joined in double figures by McNeilly who tacked on 18 points and a team-best three triples.
The Cajuns bolted out to an 8-2 lead scoring baskets on their first three possessions. The Privateers got seven straight points from McCalebb to take their first lead at 9-8 at the 17:03 mark.
UL went back in front 11 seconds later when Dees hit a pair of freebies. The Privateers missed a three-pointer on the ensuing possession and the Cajuns raced back on a fastbreak where Mouton went baseline for a finger roll at 16:21 upping the lead to 12-9.
The teams swapped baskets before a Derek Gray driving layup in which he drew a foul and made the free throw pushed the Cajuns lead to 17-11 at 15:21.
UNO got two three-pointers from McCalebb to keep pace with his last trimming the Cajuns lead to 19-17. McCalebb stole the ball from Valentino Hart on the next possession and McNeilly went under the basket for a turnaround jumper at 13:36 to even the score at 19-all.
Hart scored inside on a feed from Lago and break the tie and put UL back in front. McNeilly answered with another Privateers triple that put the hosts back on top 22-21 just before the 13 minute mark expired.
The Cajuns stretched their lead back out with a flurry of points over the next minute. Mouton hit a jumper at 12:44 to give UL the lead 23-22. On the ensuing possession UNO lost the ball near midcourt where Elijah Millsap collected the loose ball and then made a terrific spin move to break away from McNeilly for an uncontested layup making it 25-22.
Millsap then blocked a UNO shot attempt and the long outlet pass was caught by Dees who executed the fastbreak with a running layup that increased the Cajuns lead to 27-22 with 11:50 remaining in the opening stanza.
The Cajuns lead dropped down to one point two times over the next six minutes. However, UL had a quick answer to maintain their edge.
When McNeilly hit a layup at 6:40 cutting the Cajuns lead to 31-30 it was Mouton with a running hook shot in the paint pushing the lead back to three points. McCalebb and Millsap traded baskets on the next two possessions and the lead was 35-32 at the five minute mark.
UNO drew even at the 4:50 mark when Joey Barnitz hit a three-pointer in the right corner. Abray Milson slammed home a missed layup by Lago at 4:26 giving the Cajuns the lead once more at 37-35.
McCalebb helped the Privateers forge another tie when he wrapped around the Cajuns interior defense and rose up for a layup at 3:36 and then gave UNO the lead when he hit a free throw at the 3:04 mark.
The Cajuns reclaimed the lead 12 seconds later when Gray knocked down a shot to give UL a 39-38 lead. The Cajuns committed a pair of turnovers and McNeilly was fouled on a breakaway layup at 1:59. He connected on the two free throw attempts to put the Privateers up 40-39.
The Cajuns fell behind 43-39 at 1:27 when McNeilly hit a three-pointer.
After a timeout the Cajuns responded with four points in the final 1:07 to pull into a halftime.
UNO stretched its lead back to four points scoring on its first two touches of the second half. McCalebb hit a jumper in the right wing and on the next trip McNeilly fed the ball to Ben Elias who worked inside for basket which upped the lead to 47-43 with 18:54 on the clock.
The Cajuns responded with four unanswered of their own to tie the game. Milson scored seven seconds later taking a pass from Mouton and converting the inside shot to cut the lead to 47-45. After a defensive stop Dees worked his way into the lane for a scoop shot which evened the score at 47-all.
The teams swapped baskets during the 17-minute mark and the game remained tied at 49-49.
McCalebb broke the tie with a pair of free throws at 16:07 for the first of six straight UNO points which put the Privateers out in front 55-49 with 14:09 remaining.
The Cajuns came back with a six-point spurt of their own getting two baskets from Mouton and one from Millsap to tie the game 55-55 at 12:19.
The game remained tied through the 10 minute mark as both teams scored after the 11-minute media timeout.
The Cajuns had two chances to go back in front. However, Dees missed a 10-foot jumper and Mouton had the ball stripped from him while attempting to drive inside.
McCalebb broke the tie with two free throws at 9:45 putting the Privateers up 59-57. After a defensive stop McCalebb drove back down the floor and was fouled on a layup which he made. He converted the free throw to complete the three-point play and up the UNO lead to 62-57 with 9:08 remaining.
Dees went baseline for a reverse layup at 8:30 and after the seven-minute media timeout Lago hit a three-pointer at the top of the key to cap off a 5-0 UL run which saw the score tied again at 62-all with 6:49 remaining.
McNeilly untied the game at 6:20 when he made a triple of his own to give UNO a 65-62 advantage.
The Cajuns would pull within one point at 5:56 when Mouton caught an inbounds pass and threw up a quick jumper off the glass to trim the Privateers lead to 65-64. The Cajuns would go scoreless until the 2:32 mark and UNO scored six unanswered to open a seven-point lead it would hold on to in the final seconds.
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns return to action for their second Sun Belt contest of the season on Sunday, Dec. 17. UL is hosting Arkansas State at 4:05 p.m., in the Cajundome.
