University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
ULM
Cajuns Gain Revenge, Win Third Straight Sun Belt Game
2/15/2007 5:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
LAFAYETTE - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team shot 61 percent in the first half opening a double-digit lead and never looked back in posting an 85-56 win over Louisiana-Monroe here Thursday evening in the Cajundome.
The victory was the Cajuns' third straight in Sun Belt play and was the squad's fifth win in its last six home games.
Louisiana-Lafayette (8-18, 6-9 Sun Belt) avenged an 88-69 loss to ULM from this season's earlier meeting in December. It was the 22nd straight time that a Cajuns team defeated a UL Monroe squad in the city of Lafayette ? Ragin' Cajuns improved to 24-2 all-time vs. ULM in Lafayette.
David Dees paced the Cajuns with 18 points and was one of three UL players to hit double figures. Elijah Millsap scored 15 points and Ross Mouton added 14.
UL forced ULM (16-11, 10-5 Sun Belt) into 20 turnovers including 11 in the second half when the hosts outscored the visitors 44-25. The Cajuns scored 24 points off of the ULM miscues.
The Warhawks were led by 17 points from Jordan Payne off the bench. Lance Brasher was the only ULM starter to hit double figures as he scored 14. Tony Hooper, who scored 32 in the first meeting between the two teams, was held to four points on 2-of-12 shooting.
Both teams swapped three-point makes in the first minute. Jonas Brown made one to put ULM on the board first and then Mouton answered for the Cajuns at 19:05.
Afam Nweke scored inside on a second-chance opportunity for ULM at 18:49 giving the Warhawks a 5-3 lead they would hold until Dees peeled around the ULM defense at 16:17 and got a layup to roll in tying the score at 5-all.
The Cajuns gained their first lead of the evening at 14:34 when Millsap tapped home a missed shot by Mouton giving UL a 9-7 edge.
The Warhawks regained the lead at 13:23 when Payne hit a three-pointer at the top of the key making it 12-11.
The Ragin' Cajuns then scored on their next three possessions, starting with an inside basket by Hart to pull in front 17-12 by the 12:06 mark.
ULM got within two points at 19-17 when Payne hit another triple, but the Ragin' Cajuns went back inside on their next four touches to keep pace with the Warhawks and eventually open a double-digit lead.
Mouton hit a basket upping the UL lead to 21-17. After ULM got a bucket from Payne closing the gap to 21-19 the Cajuns received inside baskets from Courtney Wallace and Adam James and held a 25-21 edge with 8:53 left in the opening half.
After a defensive stop it was Mouton banking home a shot off the backboard as he was fouled upping the lead to 27-21. He missed the free throw, but Millsap was in position for the defensive rebound and a quick putback that gave the Cajuns a 29-21 lead just before the eight minute mark expired.
A Mouton basket at 6:12 gave the Cajuns their first double digit lead of the evening 31-21. ULM used a 5-2 run to close the Cajuns lead to 33-26 by the 3:29 mark.
The Ragin' Cajuns then took advantage of ULM miscues to stretch its lead to as many as 13 points.
The Cajuns got an inside basket from Wallace at 3:20 to move their lead to 35-26. The Warhawks then committed back-to-back turnovers leading to two makes by the Cajuns which opened a 39-26 with 2:27 remaining before the break.
ULM closed to single digits quickly as Brasher hit a leaning three-pointer at 2:16 trimming the lead to 39-29 and after a UL missed field goal it was a Payne layup at 1:48 that made it 39-31.
The teams traded missed field goals before Dees hit a running layup at 1:01 to create the 41-31 halftime score.
Brasher made a triple for the first points of the second half pulling the Warhawks within 41-34 at 19:17.
The Ragin' Cajuns had a quick answer as a Mouton basket made it 43-34 and then after a defensive stop it was Willie Lago burying a triple at 18:24 which sent the lead back into double figures at 46-34.
The Cajuns defense held the Warhawks off the scoreboard through the 14:35 mark and as a result the hosts lead grew to 52-34 following a hook shot off the backboard by James at 15:39.
The Warhawks broke their scoreless streak with a Nweke basket at 14:35 and added another basket on their next possession to cut the UL lead to 52-38.
The Ragin' Cajuns prevented ULM from closing the gap any more as a 6-2 run by the home team reopened the 18 point lead at 58-40 after two Lago free throws at 11:29.
UL's lead reached 20 points for the first time when Hart scored at 10:34 making it 60-40.
The closest the Cajuns would let the Warhawks get the rest of the way was 16 points when a Brasher triple on the right wing at 9:21 made it 62-46.
The Cajuns responded with seven unanswered points to increase the lead to 69-46 during the seven minute mark.
When the Warhawks got the lead back under 20 points after a Dalky Melendez triple at 6:43 made it 69-51 the Cajuns held ULM to only one field goal the rest of the way and outscored the visitors 16-5 to finish the game.
The Ragin' Cajuns will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 17 as they visit Denver. Game time is set for 8 p.m. (CST) at Magness Arena.
