University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Middle Tennessee
Ragin' Cajuns at Middle Tennessee
1/27/2007 5:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Murfreesboro, Tenn.- Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns road woes continued Saturday evening, as the Cajuns dropped their 11th consecutive road game of the season by a final score of 71-59 at Middle Tennessee.
Louisiana (5-17, 3-9) struggled all night on the defensive end, allowing Middle Tennessee (10-11, 6-5) to shoot 51 percent for the game, including 60 percent in the second half, en route to the Blue Raiders first home conference victory of the season.
The Cajuns led for just 31 seconds of the first half and for 93 seconds early in the second half.
The Blue Raiders slim halftime lead was gone 80 seconds into the second half. A dunk by David Dees and free throw by Derek Gray tied the game at 29-29. Dees' next basket gave the Cajuns their first lead since the game's opening basket by Ross Mouton.
Kevin Kanaskie single handedly pushed MT back in front. His three-pointer, driving lay-up and pair of free throws sparked a 9-0 run which gave the hosts a 38-31 edge at 14:08.
UL let their deficit slip into double figures, 49-39, at the 8:48 mark.
A pair of Kanaskie triples minutes later moved the Blue Raiders lead up to 15 points, 62-47, with 5:16 remaining.
The Cajuns couldn't muster a run in the final minutes.
Mouton led the Cajuns with 14 points. Elijah Millsap was the only other Cajun in double figures with 13 points.
Kanaskie led all players with 18 points and 13 assists. Three other Blue Raiders finished in double figures.
UL shot 56 percent from the three-point line and the free throw line. MT fired at 62 percent from behind the arc and 59 percent from the charity stripe.
The game started with a 5-5 tie in the first four minutes until MT's Calvin O'Neil took over the game. O'Neil scored 10 points during a 12-3 Blue Raiders run that left the Cajuns trailing by nine points, 17-8, at the 13:39 mark.
After letting their deficit slip to double figures, the Cajuns used a 12-3 run to cut the Blue Raiders lead down to a single point, 27-26, with 1:22 to play.
Stephen Dees started the burst with a three-point play. David Dees and Millsap alternated jumpers with one of Millsap's coming from behind the arc.
Neither team scored in the final 81 seconds to give MT the lead heading into the second half.
The Cajuns return home to face New Orleans on Saturday, February 3 at 7:05pm. The game will be the second of a scheduled doubleheader with the women's basket team tipping versus the Privateers at 4:30pm.
