Cajuns Unable to Stop Holman, Trojans

TROY, Ala. ? Troy's women's basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak, while extending Louisiana's to five straight losses as the Trojans defeated the Ragin' Cajuns 63-54 Sunday afternoon at the Trojan Arena.

Troy (10-10, 3-6 Sun Belt) forced 25 Ragin' Cajuns (5-14, 1-7 Sun Belt) turnovers, while pouring in 31 points on those turnovers. The nine-point Trojan win marked Louisiana's first loss in four series meetings.

Sonora Edwards (Snook, Texas) paced the Cajuns with 13 points, while committing six turnovers. Courtney Ratliff (Canton, Miss.) added 11 and a team-high 10 rebounds.

Troy had four players that posted double figures. Laura Lee Holman led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-8 from three-point range. Kylie Morrissy and Danielle Realph added 12 and 11, respectively. Larelle Roper also added 10 points.

Louisiana and Troy battled back and forth during the opening minutes of the second half. Neither team could build a lead of greater than three points as they battled to three ties in the second stanza.

Holman gave the Trojans a three-point lead on two separate occasions. Tied at 30 apiece, Holman drilled a trey from the right wing for a 33-30 Troy advantage. Ratliff tied the contest at 33 all on a triple from the top of the key.

On the ensuing Troy possession, Holman drained a three from the left wing for a 36-33 edge. After a Cajuns basket, Holman hit another key basket for a 38-35 Trojans lead. Troy's lead grew to five, 40-35, on two Morrissy free throws at the 13:39 mark of the second half.

Realph's three from the left side provided the Trojans with a 45-37 lead with less than 10 minutes to play.

Trailing by six, Louisiana had a prime opportunity to cut Trojan lead in half after Edwards intercepted Troy's in-bounds pass. However, Jasmine Barnes (Baton Rouge, La.) was unable to connect from long-distance.

But, a Bronson Rodgers (Itawamba, Miss.) three-pointer ended a four-minute stretch with a field goal as the Cajuns pulled to within three, 46-43, at the 7:20 mark. The Cajuns had an ample opportunity to tie the game, but Whitney Dunlap's (Baton Rouge, La.) triple attempt rimmed out.

After an Edwards basket down low, the Cajuns forced a Troy turnover on the ensuing in-bounds. The Cajuns capitalized on the opportunity on Barnes' trey from the right corner, tying the game at 50.

Troy took a five-point lead, 55-50, with three minutes to play on Holman's fifth triple of the afternoon. The Trojans added a pair of insurance baskets for a commanding nine-point lead, 59-50.

Louisiana held a 6-2 lead with 15:54 remaining the first half, but the Trojans followed with an 11-2 run for a 13-8 edge. However, a Dunlap lay-in brought the Cajuns back to within three points, 13-10.

Trailing by three, 17-14, with 6:30 left in the half, Onna Charles (New Iberia, La.) converted the Cajuns' first field goal in four minutes with a triple from the right wing. Charles' trey provided the equalizer at 17 all.

Edwards later gave the Cajuns their first lead in nearly 10 minutes after hitting one of two free throw tries.

Troy went back on top, 19-18, on a Morrissy 12-footer along the baseline, but Charles answered with her second trey for a 21-19 lead. Louisiana took a 24-23 lead in the locker room at the break after Troy was unable to get a shot off before the buzzer sounded.

Charles and Edwards paced the Cajuns with six points each, while Ratliff added six boards. Morrissy led the Trojans with six points before the break.

Louisiana held the Trojans to 33.3 percent from the floor in the first half on 9-of-27 shooting, while the Cajuns made just one more shot on 37 percent shooting.

Louisiana's women's basketball team will return to the hardwood Wednesday, Jan. 30, when the Ragin' Cajuns host the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Earl K. Long Gym. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

-www.RaginCajuns.com-

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