University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Cleveland State
UL Battles Back, Falls To Vikings, 60-55
11/20/2010 12:56:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Down 18 points minutes into the second half, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team came roaring back to tie the game late, but it was not enough as Cleveland State claimed a 60-55 victory on Friday night at the Cajundome.
With the loss, UL sits at 1-3 on the season. Cleveland State improved to a perfect 5-0.
During the comeback, UL's shooting improved drastically from the first half effort. The Cajuns hit 45.8 percent (11-24) of their field goals and were an impressive 13-of-14 from the free throw line in the second frame.
The Cajuns grabbed an early lead, 12-9, on a three pointer from David Perez. But a 13-0 run by CSU gave them a 10-point lead, 22-21, with 10:19 left.
But a field goal drought set in for the Cajuns the entire rest of the half - over 14 minutes of play. After Perez knocked down the three-pointer, the Cajuns were 0-for-16 on field goals and found themselves trailing, 33-18, at the break. In the first half, UL shot a meager 21.7 percent (5-23) while Cleveland State was shooting 36.4 percent (12-33).
During the drought the only points to be had came off of free throws. But they struggled from the charity stripe as well. In the first half, UL was just 6-for-13 on free throws.
Bryant Mbamalu hit a jumper to start the second half to snap the scoreless streak. But two quick buckets by the Vikings gave them their largest lead of the night, 38-20.
UL then put together a 6-0 run to draw to within 12 points, 38-26, at the 15-minute mark.
A three by Randell Daigle cut it to single digits for the first time since 11:39 in the first, 42-35.
Another trey from the senior point guard and two free throws from Perez made the contest a one-possession game, 43-41, with 8:28 remaining.
A floater from Daigle tied the contest, 43-43, with 7:09 left in the game. The jumper capped a 22-5 run that spanned over nine minutes.
The game would remain tight until CSU stretched the lead to five points, 45-50, with less than three minutes showing.
A put back dunk by La'Ryan Gary cut CSU's lead to three, but with 13.1 seconds left the Vikings were still ahead.
After a pair of free throws by the Vikings, another lay-up by Gary kept it a one-possession with 6.3 seconds on the clock.
But the Vikings made it back to the line and sealed the win with two more free throws.
Gary led the Cajuns with 19 points, one shy of his career best. Daigle followed with 10 while Josh Brown chipped in nine, including a 6-for-6 effort from the free throw line. Scottie Farrington was big on the defensive end, posting eight blocks in 16 minutes of play.
UL will return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 23, with a trip to Houston. The Cajun will face the Cougars for the start of three-game road trip. Game is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. CT.
