University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Little Rock
Louisiana Remains Hot at Home
2/7/2010 3:45:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns never trailed, held UALR to a season-low 25 percent shooting and were led by Tyren Johnson's 30 points in a 77-51 victory Saturday evening at the Cajundome.
The victory keeps Louisiana (11-12, 8-4 Sun Belt) undefeated at home in the Cajundome in Sun Belt play at 7-0. It also keeps the Cajuns in sole possession of second place in the Sun Belt West division, one game behind leader Arkansas State.
Johnson reached 20-plus points at the Cajundome for the eighth time this season and with 11 rebounds collected his seventh double-double of the season.
He was joined in double figures by Randell Daigle with 15 points and Chris Gradnigo with 11.
UALR (7-16, 3-9 Sun Belt) was held to 12-of-48 shooting. Leading scorers were Solomon Bozeman and Courtney Jackson with nine apiece.
The 26-point margin of victory was the largest for the Cajuns over the Trojans in the Cajundome. UL ended a six-game losing to UALR, picking up their first win over the Trojans since February 2006.
Triples from Daigle and Johnson on the Cajuns' first two possessions opened a 6-2 lead only 1:30 into the contest.
UALR scored inside baskets on back-to-back possessions inside of 14 minutes to cut the Cajuns lead to 10-8 by 13:43.
Gradnigo checked in and provided three quick points for the Cajuns. Johnson made both free throws following an intentional foul on Bozeman to up the lead to 15-8 at 11:26.
The lead went back-and-forth between five and seven points until after a Trojans turnover, Gradnigo converted a give-and-go to Johnson at 8:55 for a 21-12 advantage.
Gradnigo gave UL its first double-digit lead with a baseline jumper at 4:41 which upped the lead to 27-16.
After UALR scored five unanswered to return the lead to single digits, the Cajuns scored six of the next eight points to take a 35-23 lead with 1:21 left before halftime.
The Ragin' Cajuns held the Trojans to 32 percent shooting (8-of-25) and led by at least seven points the final nine minutes of the opening frame.
UALR scored the first three points of the second half to lower their deficit to seven points, 35-28, by 18:56.
After a technical foul on UALR head coach Steve Shields at 17:56, Johnson made the freebies to push the lead to 39-28. The Cajuns never led by less than double figures the rest of the night.
Up 41-29, a 9-0 run by Louisiana - finished off by a triple from Johnson - increased the lead to 50-29 with 15:20 remaining in the game.
The Ragin' Cajuns are on the road next week traveling to Boca Raton, Fla., and Mobile, Ala., for meetings with Florida Atlantic and South Alabama. The Cajuns meet FAU on Thursday, Feb. 11 and USA on Saturday, Feb. 13.
The next home game is set for Thursday, Feb. 18 against Arkansas State at 7:05 p.m.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
