University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Centenary
Cajuns Earn Victory at Centenary
12/1/2007 6:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
UL led for all but the first 83 seconds of the first half and finished the opening 20 minutes with a 37-26 lead.
Despite a few close calls, the Cajuns never trailed in the second half.
A 12-5 spurt to begin the second half carried the Cajuns lead up to 17 points, 49-32, with 15:49 to play in the game. Sonora Edwards scored three baskets in the paint during the stretch.
Following the second media timeout, the Ladies scored seven points in 44 seconds to cut the Cajuns lead under double-digits for the first time in the second stanza.
Whitney Dunlap drilled a three-point basket from the top of the arc to get the Cajuns lead to 60-49 at the midway point of the half. It was the first successful three-pointer that Centenary had allowed in the last 25 attempts against the Ladies.
A three-point play by Edwards extended the Cajuns lead to 12 points, 63-51, with 8:38 to play.
The Ladies then used a 13-3 run over the next 2:53 to diminish the Cajuns lead all the way down to just two points, 66-64.
Elaine McCants calmly buried a triple from the wing to provide some breathing room and kick start a 7-0 run. Alicia McDaniel and Edwards each followed with baskets inside to propel the Cajuns to a nine-point edge at the 3:43 mark.
Edwards led the Cajuns with 26 points and 10 rebounds. McDaniel chipped in 15 points, eight boards, six assists, five steals and two blocks. Dunlap was the only other Cajun in double figures with 12 points.
UL shot 49.2 percent for the game and won the boards, owning a 44-35 edge.
The Ladies were paced by Cierra Bush, who scored 24 points and led all players with 12 rebounds.
The Cajuns started quickly, enjoying a 15-2 run to start the contest. After the Ladies scored the games first basket, the Cajuns followed with seven straight buckets to grab a 13-point edge at the 14:47 mark.
Edwards had three baskets during the run, while McDaniel scored five points with a jumper and a three-point play.
The Ladies countered with a 16-5 burst to cut the Cajuns lead down to two points, 20-18, with 8:58 left in the first half.
Coach Rogers immediately called timeout and it helped, as Edwards and Kina Miller scored on back-to-back possessions. Miller then knocked down a pair from the stripe and D'Mya Clay hit a driving lay-up to give the Cajuns back a double-figure lead, 28-18, with 5:52 showing in the first half.
Centenary surged back, outscoring their guests 7-1 over the next 1:38, to close within four points.
Lyndra Bell started the Cajuns final charge of the first half with a long jumper. McDaniel buried two from the stripe, before Jasmine Barnes and
The Cajuns will take the week off for finals and then are scheduled to host LSU-Shreveport on Sunday afternoon at Earl K. Long gym. Tip-off is slated for 2pm.
