University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
UL Heads To FAU For Rematch
2/9/2010 2:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball
GAME CENTER
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010
Location: Boca Raton, Fla.
Opponent: FAU (12-11, 8-5 Sun Belt)
Site: FAU Arean (5,000)
Game Time: 6:00 p.m. (CST)
Radio: None
Live Stats: www.RaginCajuns.com
Game Day Story Lines
- The Cajuns will play their second Sun Belt rematch of the season when they head to Boca Raton, Fla. to take on FAU. FAU won the previous meeting, 75-60 in Lafayette on Dec. 19. The Owls lead the series, 4-2.
- Mercedes Johnson recorded a 20-point scoring effort for the fourth time this season in the loss to UALR. She scored 19 points in the second half alone, going 7-of-9 from the floor.
- Alexis Green scored 16 points in the first half against UALR on 6-of-9 shooting.
- Johnson, Green and Jasmine Barnes are accounting for 58 percent of the Cajuns' point production this year.
- In conference matchups, Green is averaging 14.9 ppg with a 42.5 field goal percentage.
- The Cajuns are averaging 57.0 ppg in Sun Belt play and 60.8 ppg overall.
3-Point Defense
Opponents are finding a difficult time from beyond-the-arc against the Cajuns this season.
UL ranks four in the Sun Belt, holding opponents to just 30.9 percent from three-point range.
Luxury Duo
Mercedes Johnson and Alexis Green sit side-by-side among the Sun Belt averging 13.3 and 12.9 ppg, respectively.
Johnson is ranked 10th in the league while Green is 11th.
Second Half Team
The Cajuns have proven that they are a different team in the second half.
Their field goal percentage improves in the second frame from .365 to .395.
From beyond the arc, UL is shooting .295 compared to .209 in the first frame.
Barn Burner
Junior Jasmine Barnes has continued to improve during the 2009-10 season.
Against FIU, Barnes was 8-for-8 with a game-high 16 points for the Cajuns.
Against Houston Baptist, the junior guard recorded her first career double-double, scoring 20 points with 11 rebounds.
Barnes has contributed double-digit performance in six of the Cajuns' eight wins.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Lyndra Bell had a career night in the win over North Texas.
The junior forward scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a 4-for-4 performance from the charity stripe.
It was the second time this season Bell has set a new career high in a game.
Win = Points
In six of the Cajuns' eight wins, atleast three players players have reached double figures.
In the win over McNeese, Mercedes Johnson (20), Amy Richard (12) and Jasmine Barnes (11) posted double-digits.
Against Houston Baptist, Barnes (20), Johnson (11), Nicole Morris (11) and Alexis Green (23) reached double figures.
Against Centenary, Barnes, Johnson, Josie West and Green all had 11 points.
In the league win over the Mean Green, Lyndra Bell and Barnes chipped in 18 points, Morris had 12 and Mercedes Johnson had 15 points.
In the victory of UNO, Barnes led the way with 14, while Green and Johnson had 12 and 11, respectively.
Mercedes - Unlike Any Other
In 23 games played, Mercedes Johnson has reached double-digit scoring 18 times, including four 20-point performances and two double-doubles.
At WKU, Johnson tied her career point performance with 22 points and set a new best of 16 rebounds.
Against Lamar in the World Vision Classic, Johnson had a career night, scoring 22 points with 14 rebounds on 8-for-14 shooting.
Going Green
Alexis Green scored a season-high 26 points against Denver.
It was the fourth time she has scored more than 20 points this season. This season she has reached double figures 14 times, notching three double-doubles.
In conference play, Green ranks 11th averaging 14.9 ppg.
Last Time Out... vs. UALR (Feb.6 )
Louisiana' Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team held UALR scoreless for over an 11-minutes span, but it was not enough as the Trojans were able to claim a 56-49 win at E.K. Long Gym on Saturday. UL battled all afternoon with the Trojans, trailing by just three points, with less than two minutes remaining.
The Cajuns are now 8-16 this season and 3-9 in the Sun Belt. UALR sits atop the western division of the Sun Belt with a mark of 11-1 and is 18-5 overall.
The Cajuns found themselves down by as much as nine points early on, before closing the gap to three points, 11-14 at the 13:39 mark.
UALR would jump back out to a 21-13 lead with 7:40 remaining, but UL tightened up on defense, holding the Trojans scoreless for the remainder of the half. With the defensive effort, the Cajuns were able to rally back to claim a 23-21 lead at the break. Alexis Green was responsible for 16 points of the Cajuns' first half total.
UL came out hot in the second half, opening with a 7-0 run, before UALR would hit two free throws at 17:28 mark. UALR would finally hit a field goal with 16:27 remaining, breaking a drought that spanned over 11 minutes. But the Cajuns would still have the advantage at 32-25 with 15:41 remaining.
Multiple turnovers for the Cajuns would result in empty trips down the court, allowing UALR to comeback to tie the game at 33-33 with 12:10 left in the half.
Green would draw her fifth foul with 7:27 remaining, allowing UALR to take a 40-38 lead after converting a three-point play.
The Cajuns would hang close, only being down by two points, 46-48 with 3:14 remaining.
But UALR would finish the game on an 8-3 run to secure the win.
Mercedes Johnson finished with a team-high 20 points with 19 coming in the second half. Green finished with 16, failing to hit a basket in the second half.
