UL Hosts SBC West Leader UALR Saturday

Date: Saturday, February 5, 2011
Location: Lafayette, La.
Opponent: UALR Trojans (15-5, 9-0 Sun Belt)
Site: Earl K. Long Gym (1,121)
Game Time: 2:00 pm
Live Stats/Video: RaginCajuns.com
Radio: Steve Peloquin - Play-by-Play, Sports Radio ESPN 1420 AM

Gameday Story Lines

The Ragin' Cajuns (10-12, 3-6) couldn't stop South Alabama's perimeter shooting as the Lady Jags knocked down 11 triples in an 82-66 victory over the Cajuns last Sunday.
Mercedes Johnson tallied her 18th double-figure game of the year, leading UL with a game-high 21 points at USA.
In UL's last game at home, Johnson drained a jumper with a second remaining to give the Cajuns a 71-69 win over UNT.
Louisiana is 2-2 at E.K. Long in Sun Belt play this season.
Johnson is averaging a team-best 15.1 points per game, while also leading the Cajuns with 6.2 rebounds per game. Senior Jasmine Barnes follows with 9.6 points per game, shooting 53 percent (88x165) from the floor.

All-Time Series with UALR: The Trojans lead the series, 9-7
Last Meeting: UALR 51, UL 40 • Jack Stephens Center • Little Rock, Ark. • 1/12/2011

UALR (15-5, 9-0 Sun Belt) and UL are meeting for the second time this season.
The Ragin' Cajuns fell in a 51-40 decision to the Trojans on Jan. 15 in Little Rock.
UL has dropped the last seven meetings to UALR.
Louisiana has not defeated the Trojans since a 65-61 victory inside Earl K. Long Gym on Dec. 28, 2006.

Scouting the Trojans

UALR (15-5, 9-0 Sun Belt) has won their last 12 games dating back to Dec. 14, 2010. The Trojans snipped Denver, 46-39, on Wednesday evening in Little Rock.
Coach Joe Foley reached 600 victories in his career with a 53-36 win over Arkansas State on Jan. 29.
The Trojans are averaging 57 points per game, while shooting 42 percent (445x1067) from the floor. UALR has made 83 three-pointers and is averaging 35.1 points per game.
Opponents are averaging 51 points per game, while being held to 36 percent (372x1047) on the floor.
Chastity Reed, the preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year, is averaging 19 points per game. The senior is shooting 42 percent (151x364), while pulling in 6.2 rebounds per game. Reed leads the Trojans with 40 steals.
Marian Kursch is posting 8.3 points per game, while tallying 6.3 rebounds per contest. Kursh is shooting 60 percent (66x111) from the floor.

Notes and Trends

WHERE THEY RANK

Louisiana ranks third in the Sun Belt and 121st nationally in scoring offense, averaging 66.4 points per game in 22 contests this year. The squad is fourth in the league and 84th in the nation in field goal percentage at 41.6 (552x1327).
UL is second in the Sun Belt with a +3.45 turnover margin. The team ranks 46th in the nation. UL is only committing 17.3 turnovers per contest, while opponents are turning the ball over 20.7 times in 22 contests this season.
Mercedes Johnson ranks sixth in the Sun Belt, averaging 15.1 points per game.
Senior Jasmine Barnes ranks fifth in the league in field goal percentage, connecting on 53.3 percent of her shots (88x165).
Kemi Rotibi ranks third in the SBC with 25 total blocks, averaging 1.2 blocks per game.

QUICK HITTERS

Louisiana's 10th victory, a 71-69 triumph over North Texas on Jan. 26, gave the Cajuns their most wins since the 2006-07 season.
The 10th win also marked the most in a season during Coach Errol Rogers' tenure. UL is one win away from tying the most Sun Belt victories (four) during Coach Rogers' reign.
Nicole Morris has been essential to UL's offense by dishing out a team-leading 45 assists in 22 games this year. Morris is averaging 2.0 assists per game.
Senior D'Mya Clay has averaged double-figures in back-to-back contests. Clay is averaging 11 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game in contests against North Texas and South Alabama.

JOHNSON CLIMBING THE LADDER

Mercedes Johnson has reached UL's top-10 in five categories. The junior is seventh in field goal attempts (1,005) and eighth in field goal made (427).
She ranks second in free throw attempts (438) and third in free throw makes (261). The Houston native is sixth in all-time scoring (1,125 points), while her career average of 13.9 points per game is currently 10th.
Johnson's 26 point effort against La.-Monroe (Jan. 22) moved her into sixth place on UL's all-time scoring list. The Houston native is 67 points away from moving into fifth all-time. In 81 games, Johnson has totaled 1,125 career points.
The junior is averaging a team-high 15.1 points per game, pulling in 6.2 rebounds.
Johnson has tallied double-digits in 18 of 22 contests played this season.

BARNES MOVES INTO TOP-10

Jasmine Barnes is averaging 9.6 points per game and ranks second on the team with 93 total rebounds for 4.2 rebounds per game through 22 contests.
She is shooting a team-high 53.3 percent from the floor (88x165).
Barnes currently ranks seventh all-time in Cajuns history with a 45.3 field goal percentage (353x779). Barnes is 10th in games played (108) and games started with 81 career starts.

SAVED BY THE BELL

Bell is the only Cajuns player to start in all 22 games this season.
Lafayette native Lyndra Bell is averaging 9.6 points in her last five games. During that span, the senior is shooting 47 percent (20x43), while corralling 5.6 rebounds per game. She has also hit 86 percent of her free throws (6-of-7).
Through 22 contests, Bell is averaging 9.0 points per game, while shooting 47 percent (83x175).

-- Ragin' Cajuns--

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Related News

Related Videos

Footer