Cajuns Look to Head into Break with Win Against Alcorn State

Game 10

Louisiana (5-4) vs Alcorn State (1-7)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Earl K. Long Gymansium
Radio: None
TV: None
Live Stream/Stats: www.RaginCajuns.com
Series: Alcorn leads the series 1-0
Last Meeting: Alcorn State 71, Louisiana 63
Louisiana season tickets available at RaginCajuns.com and by calling the Cajundome (337) 265-2357.

THE COACHES:
LOUISIANA
GARRY BRODHEAD (Louisiana '80)
At Louisiana: 15-25 (2nd Season)
Overall: Same
vs. Alcorn: First Meeting

Alcorn State
Tanya Edwards
At Alcorn: N/A
Overall: N/A
vs. Louisiana: First Meeting

Game Notes

Setting the Scene: The Ragin' Cajuns return home for a two-game homestand, sandwiching a 10-day holiday break. The Cajuns will open it up on Thursday, Dec. 19 against Alcorn State at Earl K. Long Gym. They return to the hardwood on Dec. 29, when they take on Southeastern Louisiana in the last non-conference game of the season, at the Cajundome at 5 p.m. The Cajuns are coming off a win against New Orleans, 71-42 at Lakefront Arena. They were led by a pair of New Orleans natives in Jaylyn Gordon (15 points) and Jeremica Edwards (8 rebounds), in the winning effort.

About the Opponent: Alcorn State has just one win this far in the season, coming against the only shared opponent the Cajuns and Lady Braves have had thus far, Nebraska-Omaha, 50-45. Since that win, the Lady Braves have lost six-straight games, including one to Sun Belt opponent ULM. The Lady Braves are led by Tierro Frost with 17.1 points a game. She is the only Lady Brave to average double-digit scoring, shooting 32-for-128 (.250).

Charimen of the Offensive Board: The Ragin' Cajuns lead the Sun Belt in offensive rebounds with 17.3 per game, an honor that they came just short of in 2013, finishing second to just Middle Tennessee. They lead Troy by 0.1 rebounds a game, and are almost two full rebounds per game ahead of Arkansas State, who sits in third.

Off the Bench: Freshman guard Jaylyn Gordon has played in all nine games this season, starting two, while averaging 9.3 points a game. In games she has come off the bench she averages 9.1 points, 2.9 assists, 2.7 turnovers and 1.4 steals in 23.7 minutes. She leads all non-starters in points, minutes, and steals per game, while leading the entire team with 3.1 assists a game.

To Their Defense: The Cajuns are second in the Sun Belt allowing 63.3 points per game. They trail UALR by 4.1 points (50.4). The Cajuns hold a +2.7 scoring margin, ranking second in the Sun Belt and just 3.2 points/game behind league-leader WKU (+5.9).

From Downtown: Sophomore guard Sylvana Okde hit 74 3-pointers in her freshman season, marking the fourth-highest season in Ragin' Cajuns history. To put into perspective, she has already cracked the top-10 list for 3-point shots made in a career, ranking ninth in just her first season. She became the first player since Rhonda McCullough with 70-or-more 3-pointers in a season in 1989-90. McCullough also holds the all-time record for 3-pointers in a season, knocking down 102 triples in the 1987-88 season. As a sophomore, Okde has added to that total, hitting 18 of 62 shots from behind the arc for 91 career triples. She is one away from tying Alexis Green (2008-10) for eighth all-time in a career, and has at least one three-pointer in the last 12 games, dating back to March 2, of last season against ULM.

Defending the Three: Louisiana ranks 29th in the nation in opponent 3-point percentage, holding opponents to 25.5 percent from 3-point land. They currently rank first in the Sun Belt and among teams in Louisiana, holding opponents to 27-of-106 from behind the arc, while making 49 triples of their own.

Like she stole Something: Keke Veal averages 3.22 steals per game through the first nine games, leading both the team and the conference. She also ranks 12th in the nation, tied with Chikilra Goodman of Stony Brook, and is ranked second among players in Louisiana, behind Chrisstasia Walter of Louisiana Tech (8th/3.38). D.J. Fowler of Charleston Southern leads the country with 4.57, as of the rankings published on Dec. 15.

What's Next? The Ragin' Cajuns will take 10 days off from games, before returning to the floor on Dec. 29, to take on Southeastern Louisiana at 5 p.m. in the Cajundome, to finish up non-conference play. The Cajuns will open Sun Belt action on Jan. 4, when they travel north to take on ULM at 2 p.m.

-- Ragin Cajuns --

Cajuns Look to Head into Break with Win Against Alcorn State

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