University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Denver
Defense Creates Final Lead Change, Gives Cajuns the Victory
1/4/2007 5:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
LAFAYETTE - It only seemed fitting that in a game which featured 22 lead changes and nine ties that a defensive play created the final lead change and gave Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team a 66-64 victory over Denver Thursday evening at the Cajundome.
The game was tied at 64-all after UL's David Dees hit two free throws with 50 seconds remaining. Denver was moving up the floor for a possible go-ahead basket when the Ragin' Cajuns defense made the biggest stop of the entire night.
DU's Alex Cox was dribbling near the top of the key when he got caught in a trap by the Cajuns defense. Cox attempted to bounce a pass past Elijah Millsap, but Millsap got his hands on the ball and ran all the way back drawing a foul as he attempted to slam home the turnover.
Millsap missed the first free throw only to make the second attempt which gave Louisiana-Lafayette (3-12, 1-4 Sun Belt) a 65-64 edge with 28 seconds remaining in the game. DU's attempt at a go-ahead three-pointer by Antonio Porch was off the mark and Cox was guilty of a traveling violation on the offensive rebound and the Cajuns had the ball back with seven seconds showing.
Dees hit one more free throw with six seconds left to push the Cajuns lead to 66-64. After Dees missed the second freebie, the Pioneers (1-14, 0-5 Sun Belt) rushed back up the court but could never control the ball and get a good look and the clock expired handing the Ragin' Cajuns the victory.
The win helped UL snap a seven-game losing streak and register its first Sun Belt victory of the season. The Pioneers saw their losing streak extend to 11 games and remained winless in the Sun Belt following the loss.
The Ragin' Cajuns won for the seventh time in eight meetings with DU in the Cajundome and claimed their first victory since a Dec. 2 victory over Louisiana Tech (65-60).
Louisiana-Lafayette was powered by the duo of Dees and Ross Mouton. Dees poured in a game-high 26 points ? his highest output since scoring 23 in the Dec. 2 Louisiana Tech game ? while Mouton scored 22 aided by a team-best four 3-point field goals made.
The Pioneers received a team-best 17 points from Cox. Cox led all players in the contest with five 3-pointers (5-of-8). DaShawn Walker was 4-of-9 from three-point range and scored 16 points.
The Cajuns took a 4-0 lead in the opening minutes. A pair of free throws by Mouton scored the first two points and after a defensive stop Dees hit a turnaround basket in the low post upping the edge to 4-0 at 18:55.
UL held onto the early lead until Tyler Bullock picked off a pass and return the basketball all the way in for a fastbreak layup at 15:52 that put the Pioneers in front 7-6.
Dees and Cox swapped three-point makes at 15:33 and 14:41, respectively, and DU was still clinging to a one point lead at 10-9.
The Cajuns used a 5-0 run during its first two possessions after the 15-minute media timeout to go back in front 14-10. Valentino Hart rebounded a missed shot and quickly converted the putback at 14:12 to put the Cajuns in front 11-10. The lead became four points when Mouton buried a 25-footer at 13:31.
UL went through a scoring lull until the 10:35 mark and DU responded with a 6-0 run that swapped the lead back over to the visitors at 16-14 with 10:35 left in the first half.
The Cajuns ended their scoring drought and forged another tie with 9:48 on the first half clock as Millsap scored inside after an offensive rebound. The run stretched to five points after a defensive stop. Willie Lago drove into the right wing and wisely passed the ball back beyond the arc to Dees who was open and hit the three-pointer to give the Cajuns a 19-16 edge at 9:04.
Continuing a theme of scoring runs swapping between both sides, the Pioneers would string together five unanswered by the 7:22 mark with a three-pointer from Walker taking the Pioneers in front 21-19.
The next basket came at the 4:25 mark when Mouton stopped and hit a jumper in the lane that tied the score at 21-all. The Pioneers broke the standstill on the ensuing possession when Cox hit his second triple of the opening stanza at 3:36 giving DU a 24-21 lead.
The teams traded missed baskets during the two-minute mark. DU regained possession and missed two more shots before getting a third chance on an offensive rebound. On that third chance Joseph Jackson knocked down a jumper making it 26-23 with 2:12 remaining in the half.
On the Cajuns return possession Dees misfired on a three-point attempt and the Pioneers came back quickly in transition for a inside basket from Timms increasing the DU lead to 28-23 at 1:58.
After a timeout the Cajuns got a quick basket as Mouton worked his way down the baseline for a layup that made it 28-25 at 1:47. The Cajuns defense forced a DU missed field goal and Millsap drew a shooting foul. He hit one of-two attempts slicing the Pioneers advantage to 28-26.
On the ensuing possession DU went inside to Timms who shuffled through traffic in the paint and put up a scoop shot that went in giving the Pioneers a 30-26 edge with 53 seconds left in the half.
The Cajuns registered points on the scoreboard first in the second stanza. After a DU turnover Dees grabbed the loose ball and finished off with a fastbreak layup at 19:50 that cut the DU lead to 30-28.
The teams traded scoreless possessions until Cox hit another three-pointer this one coming at 18:44 upping the Pioneers advantage to 33-28.
The Cajuns defense put the clamps down on the Pioneers holding the visitors scoreless through the 15:33 mark. UL would jaunt out on a 6-0 run that eventually gave the home team its first lead since 7:48 of the opening half.
DU broke its scoring drought at 15:33 when Porch drove baseline and stopped to hit a jumper which put the Pioneers up 35-34. The Cajuns didn't let DU hold that lead very long as on the ensuing possession the ball was sent inside to Adam James who worked his way in the low post for a high-arching shot off glass allowing UL to take a 36-35 edge at 15:08.
DU held the lead again on a basket by Steve Wetrich at 14:12 that made it 37-36. The Cajuns snatched the advantage back 25 seconds later when Millsap buried a triple on the right wing. The Pioneers answered with a Porch triple in the left corner at 13:24 and regained the advantage 40-39.
Porch's triple was the first of two straight for DU which upped the lead to 43-39 when Cox hit a three-pointer on the left wing at 12:43. UL battled back getting three-pointers from Mouton at 12:24 and 11:43 and the hosts were in the lead at 45-43.
The Pioneers drew even getting a pair of free throws from Walker at the 11:20 mark. After a stop DU jumped back in front when Walker knocked down a triple at 10:58. The lead went up to five points on DU's next possession as Nate Rohnert scored inside upping the DU lead to 50-45.
As had been customary throughout the game the Cajuns had a corresponding run to reclaim the lead. UL bolted out on an 8-0 run with three-pointers from Mouton and then Dees erasing a 50-47 deficit and giving the Cajuns a 53-50 lead after Dees' triple with 7:54 left in the contest.
Dees scored again this time working the baseline for a scoop layup that gave the Cajuns a 55-52 lead at 7:17. The Pioneers drew even once more with Cox making a three-pointer on the left wing at 6:59.
The score remain knotted at 55-all until James hit the second free throw of a two-shot foul at 6:20 to give UL a 56-55 lead. Both teams missed three-point attempts on the next two possessions. On the third possession the Pioneers used several offensive rebounds to finally setup Porch for a three-point make on the left wing that gave DU the 58-56 lead with 4:57 remaining.
Dees attempted to answer with a triple of his own, but his attempt was off the mark. Millsap gathered the offensive rebound and quickly rose to the hoop for a slam dunk that evened the score at 58-all.
UL was able to break the tie when Dees made both freebies on a 1-and-1 try and the Cajuns were up 60-58 with 3:28 left. The Pioneers took advantage of offensive rebounds on the ensuing possession as a second offensive rebound by Tanner allowed him to work his way inside for a basket as he was fouled. He hit the free throw to complete the three-point play and DU reclaimed the lead 61-60.
A blocked shot by Millsap on a thee-point attempt from Tanner on DU's next touch set up Dees for a baseline leaner at 1:57 and the lead swapped over to the Cajuns 62-61. The lead was short-lived, though, as DU found Walker for a three-pointer at 1:42 and the Pioneers were on top 64-62.
Dees' two free throws with 50 seconds left forged the ninth tie of the game. A turnover by the Pioneers on the ensuing possession set the stage for the final lead change of the night.
The Cajuns remain at home to face Florida International on Saturday, Jan. 6. Game time is 7:05 p.m., in the Cajundome.
