University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
North Texas* (DH)
Ragin' Cajuns at North Texas
1/11/2007 5:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
DENTON, TEXAS - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns survived a season-best shooting performance by North Texas in defeating the Mean Green by a final score of 85-76.
UL (13-5, 5-2) has now won back-to-back games allowing over 70 points. The Cajuns had won just two of 24 games prior when allowing 70 points or more.
Louisiana trailed by as many as 12 points and by 10 points at the half.
The Cajuns quickly cut their 10-point halftime deficit to just four points in the first 2:34 of the second half. An 8-2 UL run started with a three-pointer from Alicia McDaniel and was followed by two free throws by Sonora Edwards and a basket and free throw by Yolanda Jones.
Three three-pointers boosted NT's lead up to nine points, 55-46, at the 15:36 mark.
North Texas entered the game last in the Sun Belt in field goal percentage (.362) and three-point field goal percentage (.232). In fact, NT had made only nine triples in four conference games, shooting 20.9 percent.
The Mean Green started the game 20-for-38 (.526) from the floor, including 10-for-14 (.714) from three-point range.
UL then stormed back with a 15-2 run, holding NT without a field goal in eight attempts, including four misses from three-point range.
Four straight points from Jeanenne Colbert led to four consecutive baskets by Jones, with her last giving UL the lead, 58-57, at 8:45. Whitney Dunlap buried a three-pointer to push the Cajuns lead to 61-57.
Leading by four points, the Cajuns used a quick 7-4 jaunt to increase their lead to seven, 70-63, with 5:23 left.
The hosts outscored UL 11-5 over the next 4:01 to trim the Cajuns lead down to one point with 1:21 remaining.
A Jones basket and Mean Green turnover put the Cajuns at the line for the rest of the game.
The Cajuns secured victory with six free throws on eight attempts in the final 55 seconds.
Jones led all players with 30 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals ? scoring 20 points in the second half. Onna Charles added 18 points, Colbert scored 17 and Edwards rounded-out four Cajuns in double figures with 11 points, adding nine rebounds.
Sanetra Jackson, who was the story of the first half, led NT with 27 points. The Mean Green sophomore guard, who averages 11 points per game, scored 20 first half points on 7-for-8 shooting ? including 5-for-6 from three-point range.
Three early three-pointers helped NT take a 10-7 lead. The hosts stretched that lead to 16-11 and then to 26-16 at the 10:40 mark with the help of two more triples.
The Cajuns stormed back with their defense, using a 9-0 run to get back within one point, 26-25, at the 8:10 mark. Two baskets by Jones, a three-pointer from Charles and a lay-up by Kina Miller put the Cajuns right back into the game.
The Cajuns defense then lapsed again and the Mean Green took advantage, scoring 10 unanswered points to open-up an 11-point lead, 36-25 with 4:50 remaining.
UL cut the NT lead to six thanks to a triple by Colbert and two free throws by Edward, but the hosts used an 8-2 spurt to take a 12-point lead, 44-32, with 1:21 to play.
Jones closed the half with a basket to cut the Cajuns deficit to 10 points.
The Cajuns will play at Western Kentucky on Sunday afternoon. Tip is slated for 2pm.
