University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Denver
Women's Hoops Fall At Denver, 76-63
2/27/2010 11:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The elevation of the court at Magness Arena is 5,342.80 feet above sea level. A sign is conveniently displayed just before the visiting team enters the court outside their locker room.
Denver was locked into the No. 4 seed with FAU losing earlier in the day to Middle Tennessee. DU will play the No. 13 seed, currently La-Monroe entering play on Saturday.
Carrying a big lead into the second half, DU was able to keep UL 9-21 (4-14) at bay.
The closest the Cajuns could get in the second stanza was 12 points, 63-51, despite committing only one turnover in the first 14 minutes of the second half. The Cajuns were shooting 52 percent in the second half at that point, but allowed DU to convert at 55 percent.
DU finished the game shooting 56 percent from the floor. UL totaled 37 percent shooting.
Mercedes Johnson led the Cajuns with 23 points and seven rebounds. Jamie Gunter scored 12 points and Alexis Green added 11 points.
DU was led by Kaetlyn Murdoch's 24 points. Three other players finished in double figures for the Pioneers.
With the loss, the Cajuns will be the No. 10 seed in the SBC Tournament if both Troy and New Orleans lose - regardless of the outcome of the North Texas at ULM game (at 4-14, Cajuns win any head-to-head, 3-team or 4-team tie-breaker with UNO, Troy and ULM). UL is the No. 11 seed if either Troy or New Orleans win and the No. 12 seed if both Troy and New Orleans win.
The Cajuns will face South Alabama, Florida International or Florida Atlantic in the first round of the conference tournament. If the Cajuns finish as the No. 10 seed, UL will face the No. 7 seed (USA if FIU wins Saturday or FIU if FIU loses on Saturday. If the Cajuns are the No. 11 seed, UL will face the No. 6 seed (FAU if FIU wins or USA if FIU loses). If the Cajuns are the No. 12 seed, UL will face the No. 5 seed (FIU if they win or FAU if FIU loses).
The Pioneers outran the Cajuns in the first half en route to a 44-26 lead after 20 minutes. Denver was 18-of-29 (62 percent) from the floor in the first half, including 5-of-7 (71 percent) from behind the arc.
The Cajuns had only two turnovers, but hit on only 12-of-39 shots (31 percent) to fall behind by 18 points at the break.
Tied at 8-8, DU used a 17-4 run to build a 13-point led with seven minutes remaining in the first half.
After a short 8-4 burst by the Cajuns cut the DU lead under double figures, the Pioneers outscored UL 15-6 over the final 4:30 of the first half.
