University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
7-17, 5-8
ULM
8-15, 2-10
Strong Finish From @RaginCajunsWBB Locks Up 55-52 Win At ULM
2/16/2019 6:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MONROE, La. – It was close from start to finish, but a determined Louisiana Women's Basketball (7-17, 5-8 SBC) dug deep during the final five minutes of the action to come away with a hard-fought Sun Belt Conference road win over the ULM Warhawks (8-15, 2-10 SBC), 55-52, Saturday afternoon at the Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
Freshman Brandi Williams led Louisiana in scoring with 15 points on 4-8 shooting from the field while sophomore Ty'Reona Doucet came off the bench, providing 22 strong minutes, finishing with 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting to power Louisiana's offense. Freshman guard Andrea Cournoyer was a force moving the ball for Louisiana, finishing with a career-high five assists and grabbing four steals in the game.
It was not easy. But Louisiana fights from start to finish to come away with a big @SunBelt road win, holding on at the end with clutch free throw shooting ?? and big time defense. ??#GeauxCajuns ?? pic.twitter.com/Djd9r3OqGs
— Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns® Women's Basketball (@RaginCajunsWBB) February 16, 2019
Defensively Louisiana held ULM to 33 percent shooting from the field and 21 percent from beyond the arc, coming up big down the stretch defensively forcing a big turnover on a taken foul by Williams with five seconds left in the game. While at the line Louisiana shot 82 percent, sealing the game from the line when Williams drained two free throws with just under five seconds to go in the game.
HOW IT HAPPENED (First Half): Louisiana came out of the gate firing on all cylinders but over the first five minutes both sides traded baskets and with 5:33 left in the quarter Louisiana held a slight 9-7 lead. Williams' three-point basket at the 5:33 mark sparked an 11-0 run for Louisiana over the final five minutes of the period, with Louisiana scoring the next eight points in the paint.
That strong performance, powered by baskets from Doucet; Cournoyer; freshman guard Diamond Morrison and sophomore guard Jomyra Mathis, gave Louisiana 14 points scored in the paint during the period and a 17-7, 10-point lead heading into the second quarter.
Over the first four minutes of the period, Louisiana held onto its 10-plus point lead stretching it to 11 points at the six-minute mark of the quarter. Williams hit a pair of free throws at that six-minute mark to give Louisiana a 24-13 lead, but the Ragin' Cajuns would get hit with a scoring drought over the final six minutes of the half and it gave ULM a chance to get back into the game.
During Louisiana's scoring drought, the Warhawks went on a 14-2 run, with Doucet's layup at the 2:16 mark of the period, being Louisiana's only basket during the stretch. ULM's run brought them all the way back, and when the teams went into the locker room for the break, the game was tied at 26-26.
HOW IT HAPPENED (Second Half): Over the first six minutes of the second half, both sides would trade runs as they tried to gain control of the game. Louisiana started first ripping off a quick 6-0 run out of the break, powered by a pair of free throws made by junior forward Kendall Bess and Cournoyer and with 6:49 to go in the period Louisiana had regained the lead with the score sitting at 32-28.
But ULM answered with an 8-0 run, that bled into a 14-4 run to finish the period, with Doucet again providing Louisiana with just enough fire power to stay in the game during the stretch hitting layups at the start and end of the run. ULM's late run over the final six minutes of the quarter gave the Warhawks a 42-36 lead heading into the final quarter.
Louisiana was not ready to let the game slip through its fingers, and a big-time play from Mathis where she pulled up, took the contact and not only hit the jumper but converted the free throw, sparked Louisiana's energy and carried them through the period. Mathis' basket was in the heart of a 9-2 run by Louisiana over the first three minutes of the quarter to reel ULM back, and with seven minutes left in the game and a pair of made free throws from Williams, Louisiana was again back in the lead 45-44.
A few traded baskets over the next two minutes meant that Louisiana was still in front with 3 minutes left and after a Morrison jump shot Louisiana sat in front 53-48. ULM then scored the next four points, to pull within one point of Louisiana, 53-52, setting the stage for an exciting finish.
ULM, with the ball, had several possesions over the final minute, but with six seconds left it was the final possession for the Warhawks that would decide the game. And the deciding factor was a head coach Garry Brodhead special, defense.
As ULM ran its final play, and set up a high screen, Williams was in place to take the hard foul from ULM's Diamond Brooks, giving Louisiana the ball and a chance to ice the game. Ice it Louisiana did, with Williams draining a pair of free throws with five seconds left, and when the final buzzer rang Louisiana had escaped with a nail biting but exciting 55-52 win.
Check out the key ?? from Louisiana's exciting @SunBelt win in Monroe, La.#GeauxCajuns ?? pic.twitter.com/JmGrxh3oSS
— Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns® Women's Basketball (@RaginCajunsWBB) February 16, 2019
GAME NOTES: The win snapped a 10-game road losing streak for Louisiana, with its last road win coming at McNeese State on Nov. 11, 2018; Louisiana extends its winning streak against ULM to 10 straight games going back to 2015; This was the third straight and sixth out of seven games that Williams has finished with at least 10 points.
UP NEXT FOR THE CAJUNS: Louisiana finally returns to the CAJUNDOME with a single game next weekend when the Texas State Bobcats come to Lafayette, La., for a Saturday, Feb. 23 matchup on ESPN+.
TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE: Both season tickets and individual game tickets for Louisiana Women's Basketball are available for purchase by either heading to ragincajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at the CAJUNDOME, (337) 265-2357, or by visiting the office in person.
FOLLOWING THE RAGIN' CAJUNS: Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@RaginCajunsWBB) to stay up-to-date with Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball.
- #GEAUXCAJUNS -
