Cajuns Second Half Comeback Attempt Falls Short

Box Score

Vanessa Obafemi scored 10 points during an 18-5 run by Western Kentucky that erased a first-half deficit and allowed the Lady Toppers to hang on for a 49-45 victory over the Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team Wednesday afternoon at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky.

Louisiana (5-9, 0-2 Sun Belt) nearly overcame a 27-16 halftime deficit by shooting above 40 percent most of the second stanza and holding WKU (4-10, 2-1 Sun Belt) to 23 percent.

Megan Whittaker ran the baseline for an uncontested layup with 2:24 remaining that pulled the Cajuns within two points, 47-45.

The Lady Toppers gained a two possession advantage at 1:48 on a leaning jumper by Chaney Means then Jasmine Johnson blocked an Olivia Nino three-point attempt and an offensive rebound on the ensuing possession allowed the hosts to run off most of the remaining time.

Krystal Motley led Louisiana and all scorers with a game-high 24 points on nine made field goals.

WKU held on for victory despite having just three players score in the second half and Keisha Mosley account for 19 of the team's 22 second half points. Mosley finished as the Lady Toppers leading scorer with 21 points and added a game-high 16 rebounds.

The Ragin' Cajuns are back in action on Saturday in Murfreesboro, Tenn., against Middle Tennessee. Game time at the Murphy Center is scheduled for 3 p.m.

After converting only one field goal in the first eight minutes of play, the Cajuns knocked down four over the next four minutes and held an 11-9 lead with 7:45 remaining in the opening half.

A basket by Mosley at 7:36 pulled WKU even at 11-all and opened a 7-0 run by the hosts that opened a 16-11 lead by the 6:28 mark. Obafemi capped off the run with a triple at 7:11 and layup off a turnover at 6:28.

Josie West pulled Louisiana within three points, 16-13, with a jumper at the 5:12 mark. Obafemi scored her seventh point in a three-minute stretch at 4:14 and off a Cajuns turnover Alexis Govan registered a layup that extended the WKU lead to 20-13.

Nino made a freebie at 3:47 to cut the Cajuns deficit to 20-14, but the Lady Toppers scored on their next three possessions capped off by an Obafemi three-pointer at 1:48 that extended the lead to 27-14.

UL battled back ending the first half with a Motley jumper, then five more points from Motley to start the second half dropped the deficit to 27-21 with 18:55 remaining.

West buried a triple at the top of the key following a WKU timeout to make it 27-24. The Lady Toppers then turned to the inside presence of Mosely who registered the team's next nine points – all in the paint – capped off by a three-point play at 14:39 that re-opened a double figure lead at 36-26.

Mosley accounted for WKU's first 16 points of the second half with the final tally coming on a three-point play with 12:11 left to play to give the Lady Toppers a 43-31 lead.

With the win WKU upped its all-time series lead over Louisiana to 34-2 and stretched its current series win streak to five games.

After two minutes of scoreless basketball the Toppers registered the first points at 17:13 when Teraine Johnson hit a baseline jumper. WKU's early lead grew to 4-0 after a Govan floater in the lane.

UL jumped on the scoreboard at 15:42 after Motley scored a layup off a steal near half court and it was 4-2.

A pair of free throws by Govan at 15:02 upped the WKU advantage to 6-2 and marked the only points recorded by either team through the 11-minute media timeout as turnovers and missed shots mounted on both sides. In the first eight minutes of action the two teams combined for 17 turnovers.

Louisiana came out of the timeout and used a Motley triple at 11:45 and Laurie Beaty jumper from the free throw line at 11:14 to take its first lead of the game at 7-6.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Cajuns Second Half Comeback Attempt Falls Short

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