Ragin' Cajuns Continue Home Weekend against WKU

Game 18

Louisiana (10-7, 3-3) vs WKU (12-5, 4-2)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Site: Cajundome
Radio: ESPN 1420 (Steve Peloquin)
TV: None
Live Video Stream/Stats: www.RaginCajuns.com
Series: WKU leads 37-2.
Last Meeting: WKU 61, Louisiana 57, March 9, 2013 at Hot Springs, Ark.
Louisiana season tickets available at RaginCajuns.com and by calling the Cajundome (337) 265-2357.

THE COACHES:
LOUISIANA
Garry Brodhead
At Louisiana: 20-28 (2nd Season)
Overall: Same
vs. WKU: 0-3

WKU
Michell Clark-Heard
At WKU: 34-16 (2nd Season)
Overall: 58-48 (3rd Season)
vs. Louisiana: 3-0

Game Notes

Setting the Scene: The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team continues their home weekend with a Saturday bout with Western Kentucky at 5 p.m. on Jan. 25 at the Cajundome. The game is the second game of a doubleheader at the Cajundome, following a game between the two schools' men's programs, which is televised on ESPN2. The Cajuns are coming off of a home loss to Georgia State, dropping the contest 72-67 in overtime. Sophomore Sylvana Okde continues to lead the Cajuns scoring front with 12.1 points a game, including a 16.7 ppg mark in conference play. Fellow sophomore Brooklyn Arceneaux has joined Okde as a scoring threat of late, averaging 12.8 points per game in conference play and 6.8 rebounds. Arceneaux has registered double-digit points in four of the last five games.

About the Opponent: WKU comes to Lafayette with the most overall wins in the Sun Belt, going 12-5 and 4-2 in Sun Belt play. They started with a tough non-conference schedule, falling to Louisville and Vanderbilt, and are coming off of a conference victory at ULM, 77-73. They are led by the offensive trio of Chastity Gooch, Alexis Govan and Bianca McGee, all returning from last season. Gooch is 0.5 rebounds away from averaging a double-double, with 17.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Govan is another high-scoring threat, averaging 16.5 ppg, and McGee chips in with 11.5 ppg.

No Sleep For Brooklyn: Sophomore Brooklyn Arceneaux has found her stride in the wake of Keke Veal's injury, posting double-digit points in four of the last five games, including her first career double-double, scoring 18 points with 11 rebounds against Troy (11/18/14). Arceneaux is averaging 12.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in conference play, and is averaging 17.7 points and 9.0 rebounds over the last three games.

Avoiding the Turnover: The Cajuns have forced the most turnovers per game among all Sun Belt teams at 23.3, while turning the ball over an average of 16.9 times, the second-least in the Sun Belt, for a conference best +6.38 turnover margin. That would be the 11th best margin in the NCAA as of January 16.

Double-Double²: The Cajuns have four double-doubles on the season, with two by Jasmin Mills, and one each from Brooklyn Arceneaux and Kia Wilridge. The double-doubles have come in groups, with both of Mills' coming in back-to-back games, and Wilridge and Arceneaux's also coming in back-to-back games. Mills scored 20 points with 11 rebounds against Nebraska Omaha (11/8/13) and followed that with 16 points and 11 rebounds against SUNO (11/11/13). Wilridge scored 11 points with 11 boards against South Alabama (1/15/14), and Arceneaux scored 18 points with 11 rebounds against Troy (11/18/14).

Century Mark for Okde: Sophomore guard Sylvana Okde hit 74 3-pointers as a freshman in 2012-13 and has hit 45 so far this season, becoming the eighth player in school history to reach 100 career triples. Two players have reached the 200-mark, with Rhonda McCullough (1987-90) holding the school record with 260, and Kim Perrot (1986-90) with 202. Perrot achieved that feat despite the 3-point shot being nonexistent in her first season with the Ragin' Cajuns.

Shades of 2006-07: The Ragin' Cajuns posted a four-game winning streak beginning with a Dec. 14 victory against New Orleans through the Sun Belt Conference opener at ULM on Jan. 4. The win against ULM marked the longest winning streak and first time the Cajuns have won their conference opener since the 2006-07 season. The Cajuns won seven straight games from Jan. 3-25, 2007, all Sun Belt match ups. The Cajuns earned a bid to the NCAA tournament in 2007, falling to Marquette in the opening round.

What's Next? The Ragin' Cajuns head on the road for one game to take on UALR in Little Rock, Arkansas on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. The Cajuns will return home to take on ULM on Saturday, Feb. 1, for a 5 p.m. tipoff at the Cajundome in the first game of a doubleheader with the men's program.

Game Night Story Lines
• The Cajuns are coming off of their first overtime game of the season, losing to GSU, 72-67 at home. The last overtime game the Cajuns played in was a double-overtime win against North Texas in the 2013 Sun Belt Tournament.

• This is the 40th meeting between the Ragin' Cajuns and the Lady Toppers, dating back to Dec. 29, 1984. The Lady Toppers hold a commanding lead in the all-time series, 37-2, including a 26 game winning streak from Dec. 29, 1984- Jan. 23, 2003. The Lady Toppers swept the regular season series last year against the Cajuns and added a third victory at the Sun Belt Championships on March. 9 in the semifinals. The Toppers won in Bowling Green on Jan. 16, 75-64, in Lafayette on Feb. 23, 77-58, and in Hot Springs on Mar. 9, 61-57.

• The Ragin' Cajuns will miss sophomore Keke Veal against WKU. Veal averaged 18 points against the Lady Toppers in three games last season, including a 21-point output in the Sun Belt semifinals.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Ragin' Cajuns Continue Home Weekend against WKU

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