University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Louisiana Tech
Dees Scoring Spree in Final Minutes Helps Cajuns Snap Losing Streak
12/2/2006 5:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
LAFAYETTE - David Dees scored six points in the final three minutes to help Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team snap a five-game losing streak with a 65-60 win over in-state rival Louisiana Tech.
The Cajuns trailed 57-55 after Tech's Adrian Rogers hit two free throws with 3:37 remaining in the game.
Dees answered with an inside basket at 3:18 that drew the Cajuns into a tie at 57-all. The Bulldogs got a free throw from Harry Disy 30 seconds later to regain the lead 58-57.
Dees grabbed the defensive rebound after Disy missed the second free throw and ran the ball back up the floor where he stopped an popped in a jumper at the 2:41 mark the gave UL a 59-58 edge.
The Cajuns got a stop on the ensuing possession as Kyle Gibson missed a jumper for the Bulldogs. Dees missed a jumper on the return possession and UL would retain the possession as the ball was last touched by Louisiana Tech with 1:55 remaining.
Dees worked his way around for his third field goal during the stretch run that put the Cajuns on top 61-58. The Bulldogs would get a basket from Terry Parker to get back within one point just before the one-minute mark.
With 42 seconds remaining Valentino Hart converted a short-range jumper on the second offensive rebound off the ensuing possession to return the lead to three points at 63-60.
Gibson missed a three-pointer for Louisiana Tech and Dees grabbed another rebound for the Cajuns. From there Louisiana-Lafayette would close out the game at the free throw line.
Dees led the Ragin' Cajuns with 23 points and scored 17 in the second half. Ross Mouton joined him in double figures with 16 points.
Louisiana Tech received a team-high 21 points from Chad McKenzie who shot 10-of-12 from the field.
A slow start transpired between the two teams. Nearly three minutes ran off the clock before a field goal was made. Tech's McKenzie nailed a triple at 17:11 putting the Bulldogs up 3-1.
The Cajuns pulled even on the next possession when Courtney Wallace tipped in a missed basket at 16:47. Tech went back in front nearly one minute later on another McKenzie basket at 15:35.
After the first media timeout Dees made a basket at 14:57 to tie the contest at 5-all. The score remained the same over the next two minutes as missed shots and turnovers kept both teams off the scoreboard. A pair of free throws by Tech's Marcus Elliot broke the scoreless span and put the ?Dogs in front 7-5.
On the ensuing possession the Bulldogs defense swarmed around Dees near the top of the key. He wisely passed the ball to Tyren Johnson who was wide open for a three-pointer that gave the Cajuns the lead 8-7 at 12:38.
McKenzie got a quick answer for Tech 30 seconds later with a basket that started a trend of both squads trading baskets on the next five possessions with a Disy bucket at 9:35 putting Tech in front 13-12.
Johnson made two free throws 15 seconds later to give the hosts a 14-13 edge. After a couple of defensive stops Willie Lago buried a triple at 8:06 that pushed the Cajuns lead to the largest of the game at four points.
UL made another defensive stop inside of eight minutes, but Adam James had his defensive rebound stripped away by Parker. Parker hesitated underneath the basket and timed his basket in time to draw a foul as he sank the basket cutting the lead to 17-15 at 7:48. He completed the three-point play with a free throw and the Cajuns lead was 17-16.
Mouton would get caught up in a jump ball situation and Hart missed a 1-and-1 free throw chance before the seven minute mark.
Ronnie Morgan collected Tech's second offensive rebound on the ensuing possession and worked around the Cajuns defense for a reverse layup that swapped the lead back over to the Bulldogs side at 18-17 with 6:37 left in the first stanza.
Lago dribbled inside for UL on the other end and then worked the ball to Mouton who was open for a jumper at the free throw line that put the Cajuns in front 19-18 at 6:11.
Free throws were the only method of scoring over the next three minutes. Gibson knocked down two free throws at the 4:58 mark and the Bulldogs went back in front 20-19. Mouton and Gibson traded one free throw on the next two possessions and the visitors were still up by one point, 21-20, at the four minute mark.
The Ragin' Cajuns broke away during the two minute mark to open its halftime edge. Johnson hit a jumper at 2:53 to give UL a 22-21 lead. The Cajuns defense would force turnovers on back-to-back possessions and got baskets from Hart and Dees to increase their lead to 26-21.
Leading 22-21 UL forced Washington to turn the ball over underneath the basket. Johnson missed a three-pointer, but Hart hustled his way in for the offensive putback making it 24-21. The next possession saw McKenzie cough up the ball leading to a breakaway dunk by Dees that made it 26-21 with 2:07 left in the half.
Hart scored the first basket of the second half and the Cajuns grabbed a 30-23 lead at 19:19.
The Bulldogs got baskets from Rogers and Elliot in the 18-minute mark and Tech trimmed the Cajuns lead to three points.
Mouton broke the ?Dogs run when he knocked down a jumper on the left wing after a Cajuns timeout upping the advantage to 32-27 at 17:52. When Wallace scored inside one minute later the Cajuns returned the lead to seven points with 16:35 remaining.
Tech went on another mini-run, this time getting six unanswered. McKenize scored four of the points with the last coming on an offensive rebound after two missed free throws from Washington. His basket cut the UL lead to 34-33 at 14:58.
The Cajuns got baskets from Hebert and Mouton to offset another inside basket from McKenzie and the Cajuns held a 38-35 lead at the 13:25 mark.
The lead was still three points when Johnson jumped up in the lane and tapped in a missed shot at 9:53 pushing the UL lead to 44-41. The Cajuns would go scoreless until a Dees free throw at 6:34 allowing the Bulldogs to rattle off seven unanswered points to get back into the game.
After Johnson's putback Trey McDowell hit a three-pointer that pulled Tech even at 44-all with 9:39 remaining in the game.
A Rogers steal from Lago at midcourt near the 8:30 mark allowed him to race in for a layup that gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the second half at 46-44.
Mouton missed two field goal attempts on the ensuing possession and Tech got another basket from McKenzie this time at 7:44 to take a 48-44 lead.
Dees broke the scoreless drought for UL with his free throw at 6:34. After a defensive stop the Cajuns went back to Dees who drove baseline and drew a shooting foul on Elliot. Elliot was also whistled for a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct giving Dees four free throw attempts.
Dees hit all four free throw tries and UL jumped back in front 49-48 with 6:10 on the clock.
McKenzie scored at 5:31 to put Tech back in front 50-49. It was Dees who buried his first three-pointer of the evening at put the Cajuns up 52-50 at 5:11. A Mouton free throw at 4:45 made it a three-point game.
Louisiana Tech got an Elliot triple at 4:16 and the game was even at 55-all. The Bulldogs went back in front when Rogers connected on two free throws at 3:37.
Dees answered with the first of six straight points from his hand that vaulted the Ragin' Cajuns to the victory.
Louisiana-Lafayette has one week off as the school administers final exams. The Cajuns' next action takes place on Saturday, Dec. 9 in Nacogdoches, Texas, against Stephen F. Austin at the William Johnson Coliseum. Game time is 6:00 p.m. (CST).
