University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Louisiana-Monroe* (DH)
Ragin' Cajuns at ULM
12/30/2006 5:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MONROE - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team trailed for all but one minute of Saturday's game at Louisiana-Monroe and almost made a comeback before turnovers in the final minute allowed ULM to hold on for a 55-52 victory Saturday afternoon.
The Cajuns (10-5, 2-2 Sun Belt) shot 27 percent in the first half and were down 10 points at the half. A 12-0 run late in the second half erased a 50-39 deficit and gave UL a 51-50 lead with 1:49 left to play ? the Cajuns first lead of the contest.
The Warhawks (11-3, 1-2 Sun Belt) regained the lead with 45 seconds remaining getting a field goal from Nedra Winston. The Cajuns committed turnovers on its next two possessions and ULM was able to hold off the Cajuns rally at the free throw line.
Louisiana-Lafayette was led by 13 points from Yolanda Jones. Jones also had 16 rebounds, also a team-high.
Winston was the main catalyst for the Warhawks attack as she contributed a game-high 15 points.
The Cajuns had two turnovers and a missed shot on its first three possessions allowing ULM to open a quick 5-0 lead. The Warhawks got a putback basket by Winston off a missed three-pointer at 19:21 on their first possession and after the Cajuns missed a shot on the other end April O'Neal buried a long-range triple upping the lead to 5-0 at 18:35.
Turnovers on their next two possessions kept the Cajuns scoreless through the 17 minute mark. Just before that time mark ULM pushed its opening run to seven points on a Winston basket at 17:04.
Jones put the Cajuns on the scoreboard when she hit the first free throw of a two-shot foul at 16:47. Shannon Lloyd converted a basket inside 19 seconds later and the Warhawks lead was 9-1.
A turnover on the first possession following the first media timeout set up ULM for two free throws from LaJeanna Jackson which sent the lead into double digits for the first time at 11-1 with 15:27 left in the opening half.
UL held the Warhawks scoreless over the next two minutes and got two points apiece from Alicia McDaniel (inside layup) and Jeanenne Colbert (free throws) to cut the deficit to 11-5 by the 13:43 mark.
The teams swapped baskets between the 13:29 mark and 12:06 mark, each hitting three field goals, to have the ULM lead at 17-11 by the 12-minute mark.
ULM moved the lead back into double figures as the Ragin' Cajuns were held scoreless after a basket from Jones at 12:06. UL's next points wouldn't come until the 2:59 mark on a putback basket by Sonora Edwards.
A running layup by Lottie Moore through traffic at 10:44 increased the ULM advantage to 19-11. On the next ULM possession it was Courtney Carter hitting an off-balance desperation heave from beyond the three-point line with one second on the shot clock that upped the score to 22-11 at the 9:23 mark.
When Winston hit a mid-range jumper on a second-chance opportunity for ULM at 6:54 the lead grew to 25-11.
When Edwards grabbed the offensive rebound off a missed jumper by Onna Charles at the 2:59 mark the Cajuns cut the Warhawks lead to 25-13. UL would get a stop on the defensive end on the ensuing possession and worked the offensive glass to get the deficit down to 10 points. Charles grabbed a rebound in the lane and quickly threw up a layup in the hoop to make it 25-15 with 2:11 on the clock.
The Cajuns had two chances to slice into the ULM lead, but would have a turnover and a missed three-pointer on its next two trips down the court.
The Warhawks snapped a scoreless streak of 5:51 when Howard scored a basket for the hosts at 1:03 upping the advantage to 27-15. The Cajuns worked the lead back to 10 points on the final possession of the half when Whitney Dunlap hit a running jumper with three seconds showing.
After misses by both teams on their initial possessions to start the second half ULM's Regena Jackson hit a leaning jumper at 19:10 to make it 29-17.
The two teams went scoreless for the next two-plus minutes as both missed shots. The Cajuns broke the scoreless skid when Edwards maneuvered her way into position for an inside basket at 16:37 to close the gap to 29-19. ULM countered only 21 seconds later with a field goal from Howard to return the lead to 12 points.
The Cajuns defense continued to hold back the Warhawks after the first media timeout of the second half and were able to cut the deficit to nine points. On their first touch after the timeout Kina Miller scored inside at 14:58 cutting the ULM lead to 31-21. Colbert hit one free throw at 13:55 and the Cajuns were down 31-22.
ULM stretched the lead back to 12 points at 34-22 following a free throw from Winston at 13:46 and a Carter fastbreak basket on the ensuing possession. Miller hit an underhand shot attempt in the lane as she was fouled and made the free throw to complete a three-point play that closed the deficit to 34-25 with 13:02 remaining.
The Cajuns traded points with the Warhawks and eventually pulled within eight points at 38-30 when Jones hit a free throw at 11:18. ULM got three-pointers from O'Neal and Howard on its next two possessions and the lead grew to 44-32 by the 10:16 mark.
The Cajuns got two looks on the next possession from McDaniel but neither went in the basket. After a defensive stop Charles missed a five-foot jumper and the rebound set up a ULM fastbreak which resulted in a running jumper made by Carter to push the advantage to 46-32 at 9:11.
UL battled back getting two baskets 31 seconds apart to start a 6-0 run that cut the ULM lead to 46-38 at 7:23. It started with Charles hitting a jumper in the left wing at 9:00 and at 8:29 Edwards powered her way inside for a layup that made it 46-36. The run was capped off by a McDaniel layup.
ULM ended the Cajuns rally with an O'Neal basket at 7:01 that retuned the advantage back to 10 points where it stayed until the Cajuns made another six-point run during the four-minute mark.
It was a 50-40 contest when Jones stepped near the free throw lane and hit a jumper in the low post as she was fouled by Winston. She hit the free throw to finish the three-point play that cut the deficit to 50-43 with 4:34 remaining. The Cajuns got even closer after a defensive stop and a three-pointer from Dunlap at 4:00 that made it 50-46.
The deficit was trimmed down to one point on UL's first touch after the three-minute media timeout. The Cajuns worked the ball around until Jones was found open at the top of the key for a three-pointer that downsized the ULM lead to 50-49.
The Cajuns defense continued to force ULM misses and the visitors would gain their first lead of the game at 1:49 when Colbert buried a jumper in the left wing to put the Cajuns in front 51-50.
UL had a chance to further extend the lead just before the one-minute mark. However, the Cajuns were guilty of a shot clock violation after a timeout with only four seconds on the shot clock handing the ball back over to the Warhawks. The home team took advantage getting an inside basket from Winston with 45 seconds remaining to reclaim the lead at 52-51.
UL had its chance to take the lead on the ensuing possession. After a called timeout the Cajuns lost control on the inbounds pass and attempted to call a timeout with a player falling out-of-bounds which resulted in a turnover giving the ball back to ULM.
The turnover combined with a jump ball after a loose ball on UL's next possession set up the Warhawks for three made free throws which helped the hosts extend the lead to 55-51.
The Ragin' Cajuns will return to Sun Belt Conference play on Wednesday, Jan. 3 as they host Denver at Earl K. Long Gym. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
