University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Western Kentucky*
Ragin' Cajuns at Western Kentucky
1/14/2007 5:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns accomplished something that they had never done before, and they did it in dominating fashion. The Cajuns defeated Western Kentucky on the road for the first time in school history with a 77-64 victory on Sunday afternoon.
UL (14-5, 6-2) held the second highest scoring team in the Sun Belt to nine points below their season average. WKU (10-5, 4-2), who leads the conference in field goal percentage at 48.2 percent, shot just 35.7 percent.
UL led by 13 points at the half and never let that lead slip below 10 points. WKU led for only 45 seconds midway through the first half, but the Cajuns erupted with a 16-0 run following the Hilltoppers taking the lead.
The Cajuns played outstanding defense despite battling foul trouble early and throughout the game.
Both Sonora Edwards and Yolanda Jones picked-up their third fouls in the first 2:21 of the second half, giving the Cajuns three starters (Jeanenne Colbert) with three personal fouls.
Colbert was called for her fourth foul with the Cajuns leading 48-36 at the 13:47 mark.
Onna Charles increased the Cajuns lead to 50-36 with a pair of free throws at 13:34 after WKU head coach Mary Taylor Cowles was called for a technical foul.
Charles then got blown for her third foul at the 12:22 mark.
Dominique Duck convert two from the stripe after the Charles foul, but Whitney Dunlap drained a triple on the next possession to give UL a 15-point lead, 53-38, with 12:06 remaining.
WKU outscored UL 7-2 over the next three minutes to cut the Cajuns lead down to 10 points with 9:05 showing.
Courtney Ratliff entered the game and provided the Cajuns with a defensive spark, as UL held WKU scoreless for the next two minutes. Ratliff grabbed a pair of boards and scored in the paint to push the visitors' lead up to 12 points.
After the teams traded baskets, Dunlap made three free throws at the six minute mark and Ratliff converted two at 5:45 to give UL a 64-47 lead.
WKU made another surge with a 6-2 run to trim the score to 66-53 with 3:21 left.
The Cajuns shot free throws the rest of the game to seal victory.
Jones led the Cajuns with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Charles finished with 15 points and seven boards, while Colbert added 14 points and a game-best six assists. Dunlap, Ratliff and Kina Miller combined for 22 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, two steals and two assists off the bench.
The Cajuns shot 55 percent in the first half and held the Hilltoppers to 35 percent en route to a 43-40 lead.
The Cajuns got off to a great start, building a 14-4 lead early. Jones converted a pair of baskets, before Colbert scored from an offensive rebound. Charles drilled a three-pointer and then Colbert found Edwards underneath the basket for an easy score. Colbert connected on a triple from a Charles' pass and the Cajuns led by 10 points at the 16:08 mark.
WKU quickly made the Cajuns lead vanish with the help of the free throw line. Both Charles and Edwards had two fouls just 5:16 into the game. The Hilltoppers converted five from the stripe during a 12-3 run that left the Cajuns leading by only one point.
Miller entered the game for Edwards and quickly picked-up two fouls, while Colbert was whistled for two more fouls, giving her three fouls at 8:40.
At the same time, WKU took the lead, 25-23.
The Cajuns came back with a 16-point unanswered surge to build a 39-25 lead with 4:13 left in the half. Dunlap tied the game with a driving lay-up. Jones scored twice around a three-pointer from Charles. Charles added another jumper, followed by a Miller basket and then a triple from the corner by Charles.
The hosts scored five straight points and looked for another run, but the Cajuns continued their tough defensive play and scored the final two baskets of the half to enter the break leading by 13 points.
UL returns home for a pair of games at Earl K. Long Gym. The Cajuns face South Alabama on Wednesday at 7pm and Troy on Sunday at 2pm.
