University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Louisiana College
Cajuns Power Past LC in Second Half
11/17/2009 4:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Leading 50-45, the Cajuns (1-1) turned the game into a track meet and the Wildcats (0-1) were soon down double figures.
Ryan McCoy began things with a layup at 15:30 following an LC turnover. After a miss by the Wildcats on the next possession, the Cajuns pushed the ball back up the court where McCoy scored another layup that increased the lead to 54-45 by 14:53.
Sixteen seconds later the Cajuns pushed the ball back up after another LC turnover and this time Lamar Roberson rolled home the layup to move the advantage into double figures for good.
The Wildcats shot 46 percent (11-of-24) in the first half, but began the second half shooting 1-of-10.
Chris Gradnigo hit a pair of free throws at 13:36 and then a basket at 12:52 to extend the lead to 60-45 - which the largest lead for UL at that point in the contest.
Randell Daigle made three triples over a two minute span that propelled the Cajuns into their largest lead of the contest, 87-61 with 3:15 left to play.
Those triples were nine of Daigle's team-high 19 points which moved him over 500 points in his career. He was joined by five others in double figures giving Louisiana at least five double figure scorers for the second straight game.
The Wildcats were led by Jarrod Jackson's 21 points. He was joined in double figures by JeLani Mitchell with 15 points.
Louisiana shot 53 percent (18-of-34) in the second half and outscored Louisiana College 48-29.
Louisiana scored the game's first seven points before two minutes expired. Travis Bureau capped off the run with a three-point make on the right wing at 18:26 and a basket at 18:08.
A running layup by Jackson at 14:18 pulled LC within one point, 10-9. Daigle checked in for Louisiana and provided a six-point spark. He connected on a triple at 13:48 and on the next possession went length of the court for a layup that increased the UL lead to 15-9.
After an LC basket, Bureau buried his second trey of the game at 12:53 bring the lead to 18-11. After a turnover at halfcourt, Roberson fed Willie Lago on a give-and-go on which he was fouled. Lago completed the three-point play at 12:38 to notch the first double-digit lead of the night.
LC got within three points by the 9:30 mark thanks to a 9-2 run that dropped the Cajuns lead to 23-20. It took less than two minutes for UL to return the lead to double figures, doing so when Tyren Johnson converted a putback at 7:40 (30-20).
The Wildcats would not the Cajuns extend the lead any further. When Jarrod Jackson ran to the hoop, made the layup as he was fouled and then converted the three-point play the UL lead was 35-32. LC eventually tied the score at 36-all when Mitchell made a layup off an inbounds pass at 2:26.
UL broke the tie and extended the lead to four points over a 12-second span. Johnson broke the tie with two free throws with 1:31 remaining in the first half. After LC turned the ball over on the inbounds pass, Bureau scored a putback at 1:19 to increase the lead to 40-36.
The Cajuns held onto the lead and were in front 42-39 going into the locker room.
The Ragin' Cajuns get a week-long break from game action as the next contest is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 24. Louisiana will host the University of Mobile at the Cajundome - the final game of a season-opening, three-game homestand. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
