University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Middle Tennessee (SBC Tournament)
Cajuns End Season With Loss at Middle Tennessee
3/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Saturday, March 4, 2006
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - In a rematch of last season's Sun Belt Conference tournament championship game, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns were on the wrong side of an 84-58 decision to Middle Tennessee.
The opening round tournament loss ends Louisiana's (18-10) season shorter than expected.
The Cajuns posted their third best shooting percentage of the year, with a 45.3 percent clip, but were destroyed by countless forced and unforced errors.
The second half started in a similar fashion to the first. Multiple turnovers by the Cajuns proved costly as the Blue Raiders converted easy baskets on the other end. Louisiana committed a season-worst 25 turnovers.
UL wasn't able to make a dent in their first half double-figure hole, as MT pulled away against the undermanned Cajuns.
MT (18-10) hurt the Cajuns with their aggression and full court press. Louisiana couldn't execute its two point-guard offense, which was very effective in the earlier meeting between the teams this season.
Jeanenne Colbert played just six minutes, battling flu-like symptoms and dehydration. Colbert played 31 minutes earlier in the year at MT, scoring 22 points. She averaged 37:08 of playing time over the last eight games of the regular season, all starts.
The Cajuns offense, although shooting well, never found a rhythm because of the turnover bug.
Yolanda Jones led the Cajuns with her 16th double-double of the season, a 21-point, 12 rebound performance. Onna Charles finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Alicia McDaniel contributed 10 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Sherita Anderson ended her career with five points, two assists and a rebound in 22 minutes. Fellow senior Ashley Blanche totaled five points, three rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes. Blanche finishes her career in fourth on the Cajuns all-time assist chart, only four assists shy of Ann Harper for the third most in school history.
SBC Player of the Year Chrissy Givens set a tournament record with 36 points. She added eight rebounds, four steals and three assists to lead MT. Krystle Horton was the only other player in double figures, recording 15 points.
Fifteen first half turnovers proved costly for the Ragin Cajuns, falling behind by a 13-point margin after the opening stanza. The Cajuns entered the tournament averaging 14.8 turnovers per game.
The Cajuns first eight possessions resulted in five turnovers and a 1-for-3 effort from the floor. Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders alternated baskets by Givens and Horton to build a 12-0 lead. Johnna Abney answered a basket by Jones with a three-pointer to give the hosts a 15-2 edge just four minutes into the game.
A 10-2 run helped the Cajuns cut the MT lead to seven points. McDaniel and Jones started things with jumpers. McDaniel and Charles added a free throw apiece around two more baskets by Jones to bring UL within 27-20 at the 6:19 mark.
A triple by Givens boosted the Blue Raiders lead back to 10, but the Cajuns scored the game's next six points to trail by just four, 30-26, with 4:40 remaining in the half.
Two quick buckets by Givens prompted an 11-2 run by MT to end the half. The hosts took a 41-28 lead into the break.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
