University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Thursday, February 11
Lafayette
5 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
16-6, 9-4SBC
62
vs
74
Arkansas State
19-3, 13-0SBC
1
2
3
4
F
Arkansas State
18
22
11
23
74
Louisiana
20
13
16
13
62
Ragin’ Cajuns Fall Late to Arkansas State, 74-62
2/11/2016 8:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Cajuns led by a point with 4:28 left but couldn’t hold on in loss to Red Wolves
LAFAYETTE -- The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team held a late one-point lead, but Arkansas State scored 15 of the game's final 17 points to walk away with a 74-62 win at the Cajundome on Thursday evening.
"When you play a team like that you have to have effort both offensively and defensively," Ragin' Cajuns head coach Garry Brodhead said. "I thought we were focused from the beginning of the game. Even when we were in foul trouble early, we remained focused. It gives you a sense of confidence when you're playing the best team in the league and we challenged them, but just fell a little short at the end."
Senior guard Keke Veal paced the Cajuns offense with 25 points to go with three rebounds and three assists. Fellow senior guard Kia Wilridge added 12 points, three rebounds and an assist.
In a game that saw 11 lead changes and six ties, the Cajuns came out of the gates and built themselves a 20-18 lead after the first quarter. Leading 5-2, Wilridge dropped in a layup to bump UL's lead to 7-2 at the 8:28 mark of the first quarter. Their lead was shaved to two points over the next six minutes to 15-13 following a three-pointer by Aundrea Gamble.
Cajuns sophomore forward Simone Fields' layup with 1:47 left in the first made it an 18-13 ballgame, but the Red Wolves cut the game to 20-18 by the end of the opening stanza, this time on a three-pointer by Gamble.
Veal (8) and junior Taylor Washington (6) combined for 14 of the Cajuns' 20 first quarter points.
The second quarter was headlined by three ties and as high as a nine-point lead for the Arkansas State Red Wolves at the 1:28 mark of the quarter.
After the game was tied at 30-30 at the 3:40 point of the quarter, Arkansas State ended the second on a 10-3 scoring spurt, ignited by a pair of triples from Gamble. The Cajuns were held to just 38.4% (5-of-13) shooting in the second quarter.
Following halftime, Louisiana chipped away at the Arkansas State lead, eventually taking a 47-46 lead after a 12-6 run over a span of 7:18. Veal and Wilridge both scored six points apiece to jumpstart the comeback.
Arkansas State took the lead back after Gamble deposited a pair of free throws with 2:26 left in the third quarter and maintained the advantage through the end of the stanza, leading 51-49.
Trailing 57-51 just 3:03 into the fourth quarter, the Cajuns scored nine of the game's next 11 points, capped off by a three-pointer by Veal.
The Red Wolves responded on the ensuing possession when Khadi Brown-Haywood knocked down a three to give her team the lead back at 62-60 with 4:15 to play.
The teams traded buckets for the next two possessions, but a layup by Gamble and a three-pointer from Brittany Fowler pulled the Red Wolves ahead, 69-62 at the 1:40 mark.
Arkansas State put the game in doubt with 38 seconds left when Jessica Flanery hit a three-pointer from the top left corner, increasing the lead to 72-62.
Louisiana outscored the Red Wolves, 44-20 in the paint. The Cajuns picked up 18 points off 14 Arkansas State turnovers.
The Cajuns wrap up their brief two-game home stint this Saturday, Feb. 13 against Little Rock. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. in the Cajundome. Fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of the fight against cancer.
"When you play a team like that you have to have effort both offensively and defensively," Ragin' Cajuns head coach Garry Brodhead said. "I thought we were focused from the beginning of the game. Even when we were in foul trouble early, we remained focused. It gives you a sense of confidence when you're playing the best team in the league and we challenged them, but just fell a little short at the end."
Senior guard Keke Veal paced the Cajuns offense with 25 points to go with three rebounds and three assists. Fellow senior guard Kia Wilridge added 12 points, three rebounds and an assist.
In a game that saw 11 lead changes and six ties, the Cajuns came out of the gates and built themselves a 20-18 lead after the first quarter. Leading 5-2, Wilridge dropped in a layup to bump UL's lead to 7-2 at the 8:28 mark of the first quarter. Their lead was shaved to two points over the next six minutes to 15-13 following a three-pointer by Aundrea Gamble.
Cajuns sophomore forward Simone Fields' layup with 1:47 left in the first made it an 18-13 ballgame, but the Red Wolves cut the game to 20-18 by the end of the opening stanza, this time on a three-pointer by Gamble.
Veal (8) and junior Taylor Washington (6) combined for 14 of the Cajuns' 20 first quarter points.
The second quarter was headlined by three ties and as high as a nine-point lead for the Arkansas State Red Wolves at the 1:28 mark of the quarter.
After the game was tied at 30-30 at the 3:40 point of the quarter, Arkansas State ended the second on a 10-3 scoring spurt, ignited by a pair of triples from Gamble. The Cajuns were held to just 38.4% (5-of-13) shooting in the second quarter.
Following halftime, Louisiana chipped away at the Arkansas State lead, eventually taking a 47-46 lead after a 12-6 run over a span of 7:18. Veal and Wilridge both scored six points apiece to jumpstart the comeback.
Arkansas State took the lead back after Gamble deposited a pair of free throws with 2:26 left in the third quarter and maintained the advantage through the end of the stanza, leading 51-49.
Trailing 57-51 just 3:03 into the fourth quarter, the Cajuns scored nine of the game's next 11 points, capped off by a three-pointer by Veal.
The Red Wolves responded on the ensuing possession when Khadi Brown-Haywood knocked down a three to give her team the lead back at 62-60 with 4:15 to play.
The teams traded buckets for the next two possessions, but a layup by Gamble and a three-pointer from Brittany Fowler pulled the Red Wolves ahead, 69-62 at the 1:40 mark.
Arkansas State put the game in doubt with 38 seconds left when Jessica Flanery hit a three-pointer from the top left corner, increasing the lead to 72-62.
Louisiana outscored the Red Wolves, 44-20 in the paint. The Cajuns picked up 18 points off 14 Arkansas State turnovers.
The Cajuns wrap up their brief two-game home stint this Saturday, Feb. 13 against Little Rock. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. in the Cajundome. Fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of the fight against cancer.
Team Stats
ASU
UL
FG%
.429
.481
3FG%
.476
.333
FT%
.800
.667
RB
34
29
TO
14
15
STL
4
1
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballPG
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