University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Middle Tennessee
Cajuns No Match for Middle Tennessee
1/28/2009 6:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Cajuns trailed by 24 points after the first 20 minutes and struggled to find offense early in the second half.
UL started the second half in similar fashion to the first, turning the ball over on the first three possessions.
The Blue Raiders scored eight points off four straight Cajuns turnovers to build a 58-26 lead just 2:30 into the second half.
The Cajuns scored only three points in the first six-plus minutes of the second half to fall behind 69-29.
UL finally found a rhythm thanks to a pair of free throws and a three-point play by Alexis Green and a fast-break lay-up by Michelle Brunker. The Cajuns 7-0 run cut their deficit to 69-36 with 11 minutes remaining.
Green led the Cajuns with 27 points and eight rebounds. She scored 18 points in the final 12:08.
Brandi Brown scored 20 points and added eight assists to lead four Blue Raiders in double figures. Alysha Clark finished with 15 points and 15 boards.
The hosts shot 50.7 percent overall, but struggled from three-point range, connecting on 13-of-40 (32.5%). MT entered conference play making 39 percent of its three pointers.
UL shot 42.3 percent for the game, marking the second time in the last four games that the Cajuns have hit better than 40 percent from the floor.
The Cajuns missed four lay-ups and committed three turnovers in the first three minutes to fall behind 9-0.
D'Mya Clay broke the Cajuns scoreless drought, converting in the paint, before Krystal Motley hit a triple from the wing to cut the hosts lead to 9-5 at the 15:49 mark.
The Blue Raiders lead was cut to three after Green nailed a three-point basket with a defender in her face. MT responded with three-pointers on three of its next four possessions to build a 20-10 edge seven minutes into the contest.
The teams traded baskets over the next few minutes, until MT used a 9-1 run to grab a 36-17 lead with 7:32 to play in the opening half.
Two baskets by Emily Queen helped MT end the half with a 50-26 lead.
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