University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns Seek Another Key Victory
1/13/2010 9:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
GAME CENTER
Date: Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010
Location: Lafayette, La.
Opponent: Denver (12-5, 5-1 Sun Belt)
Site: Cajundome (11,550)
Game Time: 7:05 p.m. (CST)
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM (KPEL), 107.9 FM (KRKA), 1420 AM (KANE)
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com
Game Night Story Lines
● One week after knocking off preseason Sun Belt West favorite North Texas, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns take a shot at the current division leader, Denver.
● UL would draw even in the loss column with the Pioneers if they pick up a win.
● The Cajuns go for back-to-back wins for the second time this season. Earlier this season UL got wins over Sam Houston State and Florida Atlantic in succession.
● The Ragin' Cajuns are in the midst of a stretch in which they play four of five games at the Cajundome through Saturday, Jan. 23. The Cajuns won't have a two-game road trip until the final weekend of January.
● Tonight's game is the first of two meetings between the Cajuns and Pioneers. UL returns the trip on Saturday, Feb. 27.
● The Ragin' Cajuns are 9-1 vs. Denver at the Cajundome. UL has won the last four meetings in the facility.
● Chris Gradnigo has started January in the same fashion he did a year ago. In two games this year, he is averaging 20.5 points per game and shooting 14-of-28 (50 percent). Last year, Gradnigo averaged 16.6 points and shot 52 percent (45-of-87) during the first three weeks of January.
● Gradnigo has reached 800 career points and enters tonight's game with 840. If he sustains his 13.6 points per game average throughout the end of the season he would register career point No. 1,000 in the home finale (Feb. 20 vs. UL Monroe).
NORTH TEXAS LEFTOVERS
● Tyren Johnson registered his fifth, 20-point game of the season. He scored 14 of the team's 34 first-half points (41 percent).
● Chris Gradnigo's third free throw make of the game have him his 67th of the season - a new personal-best.
● Gradnigo's 18 points pushed him over 200 for the season - the third consecutive season he's registered 200-plus points (currently at 204).
● Randell Daigle was perfect from the field. He was 3-of-3 which included a 2-of-2 showing from three-point range. He's presently enjoying season-bests in overall field goal percentage (44.6%) and three-point percentage (40.5%).
● The combination of Raymone Andrews and Travis Bureau helped to keep NT's Tristan Thompson scoreless in the first half and hold him to 1-of-4 shooting and 11points.
● UL halted a five-game losing skid and improved to 10-2 at the Cajundome vs. NT.
LAST TIME VS. DENVER (Feb. 19, 2009 in Denver - DU won 55-51)
● The Cajuns trailed by 15 points less than four minutes into the second half, but outscored DU 17-5 over the next 13-plus minutes.
● UL was whistled for three fouls, two offensive, in a 29-second span with under two minutes to play that contributed to the team falling behind by six points with 1:00 left.
● The Pioneers scored all seven of their points in the final two minutes from the free throw line to hold on for the victory.
● DU used a 15-2 run to take a 15-6 edge with 10:36 left in the opening half.
● DU began the second half with a 12-3 run to open a 41-26 lead with 16:17 remaining.
LAST TIME VS. DENVER IN CAJUNDOME (Jan. 3, 2009 - UL won 63-62 in 2OT)
● Louisiana outscored Denver 10-6 in the final 5:01 to force overtime.
● Trailing 62-61 with 18 seconds remaining in the second overtime, La'Ryan Gary made two free throws pulling Louisiana ahead.
● The win completed a comeback. UL trailed 27-12 in the first half after suffering through a 12-minute scoring drought.
● Lamar Roberson blew by his defender off the right side and zipped through the lane for a one-handed slam dunk that gave UL a 50-49 lead. On the Cajuns' next touch Roberson was fouled by Brian Stafford. He made one of two free throws to give UL enough points to force OT. Sabatino Chen drew a foul with five seconds left and made both free throws to tie the game.
TWO AT A TIME
● UL averages 37.2 points on 2-point field goals - 53.5% of its scoring.
● Tyren Johnson is the leading force - 83 of his 92 makes are from two-point range.
ENJOYING THE COMFORTS OF HOME
● UL is 2-0 at the Cajundome in Sun Belt play this season.
● Cajuns are averaging 77.5 points and shooting 48.2 percent (53-of-110).
● Since 2000-01, the Cajuns' on-court SBC record at the Cajundome is 57-17 (.770)
JOHNSON'S GOING OUT WITH STYLE
● With 236 points and 119 boards through 15 games, Tyren Johnson's headed for a magnificent ending to his career.
● This season's point total bests his previous of 215 set last season. His current season-best for rebounds is 153 (2008-09).
THE LEADER OF THE PACK
● Tyren Johnson leads Louisiana in both scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounds (7.9 rpg).
● Led the squad in rebounds the first six games, and 13 of 15 overall.
● Also leads the team with 42 assists, 22 blocks and 21 steals.
IT TAKES A THIEF
● The Ragin' Cajuns have collected 22 steals in the last two games combined (11 spg).
● Randell Daigle (6) and Tyren Johnson (4) combined for 10 of the steals.
SERIES HISTORY (Louisiana leads 16-6, overall; UL leads 9-1 at Cajundome)
● Louisiana won the first eight series meetings before Denver upset the Ragin' Cajuns 72-68 at the 2003 Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Bowling Green, Ky.
● Louisiana is 9-1 all-time at the CAJUNDOME against the Pioneers. Louisiana won the first five games at the 'DOME before Denver won 72-66 on Jan. 8, 2005.
● UL carries a four-game win streak over DU at the Cajundome into tonight's meeting.
● Low-scoring affairs have been the theme as of late. The winning team in each of the past seven meetings has scored no more than 67 points. UL is 5-2 vs. DU in the stretch.
● The Cajuns' defense has held DU to 56.9 points per game in the last seven meetings.
● Fourteen (14) times in 22 meetings, UL has held the Pioneers below 70 points.
BY THE NUMBERS
1: Number of appearances needed by Willie Lago for his 100th game in a UL uniform
2: Two (2) more blocks will mark career No. 100 for Tyren Johnson
3-0: The Cajuns record when the opponent shoots below 40 percent
7: Raymone Andrews has committed only seven (7) turnovers in 123 minutes
8: With 8 field goal makes Tyren Johnson will reach 100 in a season for the first time
9-1: Record vs. Denver in the Cajundome
15.7: Louisiana is averaging 15.7 free throw make per game. That's ahead of last year's 11.4 clip
28.0: Louisiana is averaging 28.0 points in the paint. The Cajuns have reached 30-plus, seven times
40%: All wins have come when shooting above 40%
69: Chris Gradnigo is tops with 69 free throw makes
160: The countdown to 1,000 career points in underway for Chris Gradnigo; currently needs 160
500: UL has four 500-plus point scorers - Travis Bureau, Randell Daigle, Chris Gradnigo and Tyren Johnson (reached in Tulane game)
LAST TIME OUT: Louisiana 74, North Texas 72 (Jan. 7, 2010 - Cajundome)
● North Texas' 22nd turnover of the game was the turning point.
● The turnover came at 1:49 on an offensive foul called with NT trailing 66-62.0
● As the shot clock was winding down Randell Daigle buried a 22-footer at the top of the key that extended the lead to 69-62 with 1:14 remaining.
● NT would cut the lead to 72-70 following a Josh White triple with 12 seconds remaining. A pair of Daigle free throws one second later sealed the win.
● UL scored the game's first six points and later a Tyren Johnson fadeaway at 13:43 put UL's lead into double figures, 12-2.
● UL's lead would grow to 15 points, 25-10, on a Johnson basket at 5:02.
● NT opened the second half on a 17-8 run that lowered the Cajuns lead to 42- 39 with 11:05 remaining. UL then scored seven of the game's next nine points.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin' Cajuns travel to Little Rock, Ark., to meet UALR on Saturday, Jan. 16 at the Jack Stephens Center. Game time is 7 p.m.
The Trojans carry a five-game winning streak over UL into Saturday's game. The Cajuns' last win in the series came on Feb. 25, 2006 at the Jack Stephens Center (W, 69-59).
After the UALR game, the Cajuns return home for a pair of games at the Cajundome next week - Jan. 21 vs. New Orleans and Jan. 23 vs. Troy.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
