University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Friday, March 13
New Orleans, La.
2 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
19-12
61
vs
63
Arkansas State
23-9
1
2
F
Louisiana
30
31
61
Arkansas State
30
33
63
Team Stats
UL
ASU
FG%
.467
.561
3FG%
.200
.200
FT%
.500
.800
RB
19
33
TO
5
15
STL
7
2
Game Leaders
Pts
14
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballPG
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's BasketballPG
/ Women's Basketball
Magical Run Ends As Louisiana Edged By A-State, 63-61
3/13/2015 6:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Cajuns finish 19-12; to wait on possible WNIT or WBI berth
NEW ORLEANS – Khadi Brown-Haywood and Jasmine Hunt each scored 15 points and Brittany Gill added 10, including a go-ahead bucket with 2:01 remaining as Arkansas State fought off a determined Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team, 63-61, in the semifinals of the 2015 Sun Belt Conference Championships on Friday at Lakefront Arena.
Hanna Qedan made one of two free throws with 9.9 seconds remaining for Arkansas State (23-9) before a potential game-winning 3-point attempt from Louisiana's Jaylyn Gordon rimmed out with Brown-Haywood grabbing the rebound to secure the win in a slugfest that saw 10 ties and 18 lead changes.
"I really liked the last shot we had to win the game," head coach Garry Brodhead said. "I think it was going to take that type of play to win that type of game. We were going to have to come from behind simply because of the way Arkansas State plays.
"I thought we had a chance and made some good plays at the end of the game on defense. It just didn't go our way, but I'm proud of our kids. They worked real hard in everything they did, but the thing about it is that we have next year and we only lose one kid."
Louisiana (19-12), making its third semifinal appearance since joining the Sun Belt, opened the second half with a 9-0 run to pull away from a 30-30 deadlock at halftime. Gordon opened the half with a 3-pointer before a pair of layups by Keke Veal and a bucket by Simone Fields gave the Ragin' Cajuns a 39-30 lead.
A-State responded with a 14-0 run over the next five-plus minutes to build a 44-39 lead before Louisiana regained its composure and fought back. A 6-0 run by the Ragin' Cajuns, capped by a layup by Kia Wilridge, gave Louisiana a 47-46 lead with 9:01 remaining before the teams traded the lead down the stretch.
Aundrea Gamble sank one of two free throws for the Red Wolves with 1:25 remaining for a 60-58 lead, and added two more for a 62-58 advantage with :52 seconds left before a 3-pointer by Gordon cut the lead to 62-61 with :40 seconds remaining.
After an Arkansas State timeout on the following possession, Qedan drove the left baseline and was fouled by Veal on a close play under the goal. Qedan made the first and missed the second giving Louisiana an opportunity for a final score.
"I saw it coming and I thought I placed myself in the right position to take it," said Veal, "but it just didn't fall in my favor."
Veal scored a game-high 18 points to lead Louisiana, which finished 28-for-60 (46.7 percent) from the floor and outscored A-State, 42-32, in the paint. Wilridge added 14 points with Gordon chipping in with 12 as the Ragin' Cajuns forced 15 turnovers while committing a season-low five.
A-State opened the game with a 6-2 run before Louisiana bounced back after getting buckets from Gordon and Wilridge. After the Red Wolves took a 15-12 lead on a jumper by Jessica Flanery, the Ragin' Cajuns took their first lead of the game after Simone Fields scored off her own miss and Veal followed with a layup at the 11:37 mark.
Both teams traded leads the remainder of the half before buckets by Gordon and Gabby Alexander gave Louisiana a 30-29 lead in the final minute.
Hunt, who was perfect from the field against Louisiana in an 87-65 victory on March 7 in Jonesboro, grabbed nine rebounds to lead A-State, which held a 33-19 advantage on the glass. Brown-Haywood added seven boards for the Red Wolves while Gill had five.
Gamble, the two-time Sun Belt Player of the Year, scored eight points and was held in single-digits by the Ragin' Cajuns for the second time this season. Gamble, who was held to a season-low four points in a 69-57 loss to Louisiana on Jan. 22 in Lafayette, finished 1-for-5 from the floor as she was guarded by Wilridge and Jodi Quinn.
"I think it's because of Kia Wilridge," Brodhead said. "Kia and Jodi Quinn, I think are the best defensive players in the league. Not everybody believes that, but it seems like we are the only ones who can stop Gamble and she's the player of the year in the conference. Kia does most of the work and we slip in Jodi who can deny [Gamble] the ball. We've done it every time we've faced her since she's been at Arkansas State. We put a lot of focus on that in practice. We usually work on stopping the best player on the team. Gamble is a really good player though."
Hanna Qedan made one of two free throws with 9.9 seconds remaining for Arkansas State (23-9) before a potential game-winning 3-point attempt from Louisiana's Jaylyn Gordon rimmed out with Brown-Haywood grabbing the rebound to secure the win in a slugfest that saw 10 ties and 18 lead changes.
"I really liked the last shot we had to win the game," head coach Garry Brodhead said. "I think it was going to take that type of play to win that type of game. We were going to have to come from behind simply because of the way Arkansas State plays.
"I thought we had a chance and made some good plays at the end of the game on defense. It just didn't go our way, but I'm proud of our kids. They worked real hard in everything they did, but the thing about it is that we have next year and we only lose one kid."
Louisiana (19-12), making its third semifinal appearance since joining the Sun Belt, opened the second half with a 9-0 run to pull away from a 30-30 deadlock at halftime. Gordon opened the half with a 3-pointer before a pair of layups by Keke Veal and a bucket by Simone Fields gave the Ragin' Cajuns a 39-30 lead.
A-State responded with a 14-0 run over the next five-plus minutes to build a 44-39 lead before Louisiana regained its composure and fought back. A 6-0 run by the Ragin' Cajuns, capped by a layup by Kia Wilridge, gave Louisiana a 47-46 lead with 9:01 remaining before the teams traded the lead down the stretch.
Aundrea Gamble sank one of two free throws for the Red Wolves with 1:25 remaining for a 60-58 lead, and added two more for a 62-58 advantage with :52 seconds left before a 3-pointer by Gordon cut the lead to 62-61 with :40 seconds remaining.
After an Arkansas State timeout on the following possession, Qedan drove the left baseline and was fouled by Veal on a close play under the goal. Qedan made the first and missed the second giving Louisiana an opportunity for a final score.
"I saw it coming and I thought I placed myself in the right position to take it," said Veal, "but it just didn't fall in my favor."
Veal scored a game-high 18 points to lead Louisiana, which finished 28-for-60 (46.7 percent) from the floor and outscored A-State, 42-32, in the paint. Wilridge added 14 points with Gordon chipping in with 12 as the Ragin' Cajuns forced 15 turnovers while committing a season-low five.
A-State opened the game with a 6-2 run before Louisiana bounced back after getting buckets from Gordon and Wilridge. After the Red Wolves took a 15-12 lead on a jumper by Jessica Flanery, the Ragin' Cajuns took their first lead of the game after Simone Fields scored off her own miss and Veal followed with a layup at the 11:37 mark.
Both teams traded leads the remainder of the half before buckets by Gordon and Gabby Alexander gave Louisiana a 30-29 lead in the final minute.
Hunt, who was perfect from the field against Louisiana in an 87-65 victory on March 7 in Jonesboro, grabbed nine rebounds to lead A-State, which held a 33-19 advantage on the glass. Brown-Haywood added seven boards for the Red Wolves while Gill had five.
Gamble, the two-time Sun Belt Player of the Year, scored eight points and was held in single-digits by the Ragin' Cajuns for the second time this season. Gamble, who was held to a season-low four points in a 69-57 loss to Louisiana on Jan. 22 in Lafayette, finished 1-for-5 from the floor as she was guarded by Wilridge and Jodi Quinn.
"I think it's because of Kia Wilridge," Brodhead said. "Kia and Jodi Quinn, I think are the best defensive players in the league. Not everybody believes that, but it seems like we are the only ones who can stop Gamble and she's the player of the year in the conference. Kia does most of the work and we slip in Jodi who can deny [Gamble] the ball. We've done it every time we've faced her since she's been at Arkansas State. We put a lot of focus on that in practice. We usually work on stopping the best player on the team. Gamble is a really good player though."
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