University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Florida International
Ragin' Cajuns vs. Florida International
1/6/2007 5:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LAFAYETTE - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns topped Florida International in a shootout by a final score of 84-73 on Saturday afternoon at Earl K. Long Gym.
UL improves to 12-5 (4-2), while FIU drops to 9-5 (3-1). Louisiana is now 2-0 at home against FIU under head coach J. Kelley Hall. The win also marks just the third time in the Hall-era that the Cajuns have won when allowing 70 or more points.
The Cajuns led by as many as 24 points in the second half and never let their lead dip below nine points in the final 20 minutes.
The Cajuns 13-point halftime lead was threatened early in the second half, but Louisiana responded with a 21-7 run to take a 64-40 lead at the 11:17 mark.
Onna Charles scored 15 points during the run, creating shots, drilling three-pointers and making free throws.
FIU cut the Cajuns 24-point lead in half thanks to a 16-4 burst that trimmed the Cajuns edge to 68-56 with 8:35 remaining.
Leading 74-62 with 6:11 left, the Golden Panthers scored three points to cut the Cajuns lead under double figures for the first time since UL held a seven-point edge, 27-20, with 6:21 left in the first half.
The Cajuns would not let up and made eight free throws over the final 4:13 to secure the win.
Charles led four Cajuns in double-figures and all players with 25 points. Jeanenne Colbert finished with 18 points and a game-best eight assists. Yolanda Jones had 16 points and Alicia McDaniel finished with 13 points.
A 41-point first half helped Louisiana take 41-28 lead into the second half. The Cajuns tied a season-high with 18 field goals in the opening stanza ? shooting 62.1 percent.
Four different Cajuns starters scored in succession to give UL an 8-0 lead to start the game. After FIU's first basket, Charles nailed a three-pointer to give the Cajuns an 11-2 lead. For Charles, it was her first triple in 113 minutes, snapping a 0-for-10 drought from behind the arc.
Jones followed Charles's three with a basket to extend the Cajuns lead to 13-2 at the 15:20 mark.
McDaniel scored to give all the Cajuns starters a basket, before Colbert added a bucket and Charles nailed her second triple to give UL a 20-6 edge with 13:00 remaining in the first half.
The Golden Panthers responded with a 12-2 run to cut the Cajuns lead down to four points, 24-20, with 6:59 remaining.
UL answered with an 11-0 run to take their biggest lead of the half, 35-20, with 4:38 to play. Sonora Edwards' free throw was followed by a long jumper and a three-pointer by Colbert. McDaniel then added a three-point play and a lay-up to give the Cajuns a 15-point edge.
The Cajuns go on the road for their next two contests, playing at North Texas on Thursday and at Western Kentucky next Sunday.
