University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Arkansas State
Cajuns Finish Regular Season at Arkansas State
3/7/2014 1:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Saturday, March 8, 2014 • 3:05 p.m. • Concvocation Center • Jonesboro, Ark.
TV: None
Radio: None
Live Stats/Video: www.AStateRedWoles.com
Game Notes
Game Day Story Lines
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team will finish their regular season schedule with a trip to Arkansas State for a 3:05 p.m. tip-off at the Convocation Center in Jonesboro, Ark.
• The Cajuns defeated the Red Wolves in the first meeting, 77-76, at the Cajundome on Feb. 15. The Cajuns won after the Red Wolves missed the second shot of a pair of free throws with under a second remaining in the game. Gabby Alexander scored 22 points and Brooklyn Arceneaux added 18 to lead the Cajuns to victory.
• The Cajuns clinched a berth in the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Championships with their victory over South Alabama, and will now look to improve their seeding for the annual tournament, hosted at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans from March 12-15.
• The Cajuns have won 14 games thus far in 2013-14, the most wins since 2006-07 when they went 25-9.
Setting the Scene: After seeing their four-game winning streak snapped with a 80-71 loss to WKU, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team will look to finish the 2013-14 regular season on a high note, with a sweep of first-place Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark. on March 8 at 3:05 p.m. The Cajuns rode their second four-game winning streak of the season before falling to WKU, defeating Arkansas State, Troy, Georgia State and South Alabama in the process. The Cajuns are led by sophomores Sylvana Okde and Brooklyn Arceneaux, averaging 10.8 and 10.7 points respectively. Fellow sophomore Kia Wilridge has strung together three-straight strong games, averaging 17.0 points a game over the last three games, including a career-high 21 points at WKU.
About the Opponent: Arkansas State is the Sun Belt leader in the standings, holding a 13-4 record in SBC play and 19-10 overall. The Red Wolves are led by Aundrea Gamble with 18.8 points per game (2nd in conference), and 6.1 rebounds a game. Arkansas State has won three of their last four games since falling to the Cajuns.
Track the Bracket: If the season ended today, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns would earn the No. 7 seed in the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Championships and would take on WKU in the opening round. The Cajuns clinched at least a berth in the tournament with their win over South Alabama. The 2014 Sun Belt Conference Championships will take place from March 12-15 at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, La. The Cajuns hold an identical record (7-10) with the No. 8 seed ULM, but own the tiebreaker with their victory over Arkansas State.
Brodhead Wins No. 14: With the win against South Alabama, head coach Garry Brodhead became the first head coach in school history to win 14 games in his second season at Louisiana. Brodhead passes Ross Cook (13-14 in 1985-86), and J. Kelly Hall (13-15 in 2003-14) for the most wins in their second season. Brodhead now sits sixth all-time with 24 career wins at Louisiana, Hall has the most wins in school history with 86.
No Sleep For Brooklyn: Sophomore Brooklyn Arceneaux has found her stride in conference play, averaging 13.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in conference play. Arceneaux has two double-doubles on the season, including an 18-point, 11-rebound performance against Troy. She has three 19-point games, her career high, against South Alabama (1/15/14), UALR (1/29/14) and Georgia State (2/22/14).
Avoiding the Turnover: The Ragin' Cajuns lead the Sun Belt with a +5.32 turnover margin, forcing a league-high 21.0 turnovers per game, while turning the ball over 15.6 times a game. Coming into the week, the Cajuns had a +5.70 turnover margin, the tenth best in the NCAA as of March 2.
Doing It With Defense: Part of the Cajuns success this season is thanks to its defensive effort. Heading into the Arkansas State game, the Cajuns are third in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring defense (65.0), steals (8.9) and 3-point field goal defense (.300).
Century Mark for Okde: Sophomore guard Sylvana Okde hit 74 3-pointers as a freshman in 2012-13 and has made 66 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 non-existent in her first season with the Ragin' Cajuns. Okde currently ranks sixth all-time at Louisiana in 3-pointers made with 140 career triples, behind Onna Charles (2005-08) with 143.
What's Next? The Ragin' Cajuns are NOLA Bound and will head to the Crescent City for the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Championships at Lakefront Arena. As of now the Cajuns are the seventh seed in the tournament and would take on Western Kentucky in the first round of the tournament on Wednesday, March 12. Full brackets and times will be released upon conclusion of the 2013-14 regular season on Saturday evening.
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