University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Non-Conference Play Wraps Up Monday
12/28/2009 2:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
GAME CENTER
Date: Monday, Dec. 28, 2009
Location: Lafayette, La.
Opponent: Centenary (4-7)
Site: Cajundome (11,550)
Game Time: 7:05 p.m.
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM (KPEL), 107.9 FM (KRKA)
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com
Game Night Story Lines
● It's the last chance to fine tune their game before returning to Sun Belt play for the rest of the season when Louisiana hosts Centenary on Monday, Dec. 28 at the Cajundome. Tipoff is slated for 7:05 p.m.
● It's the final home game before the New Year with 300-level tickets being sold for $5 as part or Ragin' Cajuns New Year's Madness.
● The contest marks the final non-conference game of the 2009-10 season.
● Louisiana went 2-4 in the first round of non-conference action. In the second segment, UL is 1-3 having defeated Lamar and losing to Southern Miss, Tulane and Louisville. The Cajuns enter the Centenary game with a 3-7 non-conference mark.
● Game features two teams looking to halt a losing streak. UL has lost two straight and Centenary has dropped five straight since Dec. 3.
● Chris Gradnigo is beginning to find his groove. In the last four games he's averaging 19.0 points per game and shooting 24-of-53 from the floor (45%).
● Louisiana made a season-high 12 three-pointers at Louisville. The Cajuns have shot the "3" well in December, going 48-of-130 (37%) and averaging nearly seven per game.
● Seven of the Cajuns' 11 games have been decided by single digits.
● Tyren Johnson became the fourth Cajuns player to reach 500 career points, accomplishing the feat in last Monday's game with Tulane. He joins a group that includes Travis Bureau, Randell Daigle and Chris Gradnigo.
LOUISVILLE LEFTOVERS
● Chris Gradnigo set his season-high in points for the second straight game, tallying 23. Made a season-high three triples and was 8-of-8 at the charity stripe.
● Randell Daigle recorded a season-high 21 points. For the third time this season - and second in past three games - he made five 3-pointers.
● The 12 three-point makes by the Cajuns were the most by a Louisville opponent this season. The Cajuns ended the night 12-of-28 (43%) from beyond the arc.
● Daigle recorded the 600th point of his career. After the game was over his career point total had increased to 612.
● Corey Bloom recorded the second game of December with multiple "3's", hitting 2-of-3.
● Five different Cajuns accounted at least two assists.
● Louisiana did not allow Louisville to build a 20-point lead. The largest lead was 18 at 8:55 of the second half following a Jerry Smith three-point basket. In the previous contest, the Cardinals had blasted fellow Sun Belt foe Western Kentucky by 27 (102-75).
LAST TIME VS. CENTENARY (Feb. 7, 2002 - Louisiana won 77-62)
● Louisiana scored the game's first 17 points and were never challenged by the Gents.
● It took only eight minutes to build the 17-point edge. Centenary did not score until the 11:55 mark on a basket by Andrew Wisniewski.
● The Cajuns got the first-half lead up to as many as 26 points and led 44-20 at the half.
● Louisiana never saw its lead dip under double figures after the 15:09 mark of the half.
● UL rested its starters during the final half, but Centenary showed its grit by getting the lead down to 68-54 with under five minutes left. The Gents used a 20-5 run to chip into the Cajuns lead which was 63-34 with 9:47 remaining.
● Anthony Johnson led a quartet of Cajuns in double figures with 14 points, while freshman Michael Southall added 13. Darryl Robins posted first career double-double, as the Baton Rouge senior had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
LOCAL HEROS BATTLE IT OUT
● Randell Daigle was a standout player at Northside High School in Lafayette. Centenary's David Perez was a standout at Catholic High School in New Iberia.
● Which local hero will shine the brightest at the Cajundome tonight and lead their team to victory?
IT'S BEEN CLOSE
● Looking at the point totals of the Cajuns and their opponents...things have been close. UL has scored 778 (70.7 avg) and the opposition 788 (71.6).
IT'S ALWAYS BEST IF YOU SHARE
● After hitting double figures in assists only once in the first five games, Louisiana has reached double figures in each of the past six games averaging 16.2 per game.
JOHNSON'S GOING OUT WITH STYLE
● With 166 points and 89 boards through 11 games, Tyren Johnson's headed for a magnificent ending to his career. Current bests are 215 points & 153 boards (2008-09).
COULD IT BE THE HAIRCUT
● Randell Daigle sported a new "hair-do" at Lamar. That led to a 5-of-9 showing from beyond the arc. It was the seventh, five-triple outing of his career.
● He was just as good at Louisville, hitting 5-of-8 three-point attempts.
● Since the Lamar game, Daigle is 11-of-19 (58%) from three-point range.
THE LEADER OF THE PACK
● Tyren Johnson leads Louisiana in both scoring (15.1 ppg) and rebounds (8.1 rpg).
● Led the squad in rebounds the first six games and nine of 11 overall.
SERIES HISTORY
● Series dates back to the 1921-22 season. The bulk of the meetings were held in the 1920's, 1930's, 1940's and 1950's.
● Two schools met only twice in the 1960's and then the series was dormant until the 1975-76 season. Four meetings took place between the '75-76 and '77-78 seasons, but the series was shut down, again, until a game was scheduled in the 2001-02 season.
● Tonight's game is only the second meeting since February 1978 and first since February 2002 at the Cajundome.
● Louisiana has won the last two meetings. The Cajuns were victorious in the most recent meeting, posting a 77-62 win at the Cajundome on Feb. 7, 2002.
BY THE NUMBERS
1: Only one non-conference game left. Starting New Year's Eve at WKU the rest is Sun Belt play
3-0: The Cajuns record when the opponent shoots below 40 percent
5: Number of appearances needed by Willie Lago for his 100th game in a UL uniform
11: Tyren Johnson needs 11 rebounds to reach 100 this season. Averages 8.1 per game
15:Tyren Johnson needs 15 rebounds for career rebound No. 400
17: Points need by Chris Gradnigo for career No. 800
19.0: Chris Gradnigo's scoring average the past four games. Shooting 24-of-53 (45%) in stretch
2002: The last time the Cajuns and Gents met (2/7/02)
26.9: Louisiana is averaging 26.9 points in the paint. The Cajuns have reached 30-plus, five times.
40%: All wins have come when shooting above 40%
40.3: Combined scoring average for Tyren Johnson, Chris Gradnigo and Randell Daigle (57% of team)
500: UL has four 500-plus point scorers - Travis Bureau, Randell Daigle, Chris Gradnigo and Tyren Johnson (reached in Tulane game)
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin' Cajuns step back into Sun Belt play for the rest of the season. The Cajuns do battle with Western Kentucky on New Year's Eve at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky. Game time is set for 5 p.m.
It's the first leg of the WKU-Middle Tennessee road swing. The Cajuns meet Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 2 in Murfreesboro.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
