University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Middle Tennessee
Cajuns Close Road Trip With Loss at MT
1/4/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Ragin' Cajuns (4-10, 0-3 Sun Belt) were handcuffed by 30 turnovers and that limited the squad to 30 fewer field goal attempts (73-43) than the Blue Raiders (8-4, 3-0 Sun Belt). MT finished the game with a 35-8 edge in points off turnovers.
Mercedes Johnson and Alexis Green led Louisiana with 16 points, apiece. Nicole Morris tied her season-and career-high with five assists.
Four players, including three starters, reached double-figure scoring and a pair - Jackie Pickel and Emily Queen - each had a double-double in the victory for the Blue Raiders.
UL grabbed an early 3-0 lead at 18:37 following a three-point play by Lyndra Bell. A pair of triples by Pickel gave the hosts the lead for good, 6-3 by the 17:07 mark.
The Cajuns stayed within single digits until the final two minutes of the opening half.
Amy Richard cut the MT lead to four points, 13-9, at 13:00. The Blue Raiders then rolled off a 9-4 run to gain breathing room.
The lead didn't reach double figures until a pair of Brandi Brown freebies with 2:31 remaining before halftime made it 30-20.
Johnson scored two baskets for the Cajuns in the first 1:30 of the second half, each time pulling Louisiana within 11 points. Her second basket trimmed the MT lead down to 39-28.
The Blue Raiders eventually opened a 20-point lead, 50-30, on a Pickel trey with 15:11 to play. The advantage swelled to 25 (64-39) on back-to-back 3-pointers from Chelsia Lymon during the nine-minute mark.
The margin grew as high as 32 following an Anne Marie Lanning three-pointer with 2:23 left that upped the score to 80-48.
The Ragin' Cajuns return to the court on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at Earl K. Long Gym for a meeting with North Texas (4-11, 1-3 Sun Belt) at 7 p.m.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
