Louisiana Returns to the Court in Sunday Matinee at Auburn

AUBURN, Ala. – After a week off for final exams, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team returns to play on Sunday, December 11 on the road in Auburn, Alabama meeting the host-Tigers in a 2:00 p.m. contest at Neville Arena.

The Ragin' Cajuns (5-4) resume play possessing a season-high, four-game win streak following a 62-46 win over Louisiana Christian in the team's last outing back on December 3 at the Cajundome.

Sunday's game in Auburn is the first of two remaining non-conference road games for Louisiana. The last non-conference road stop is Saturday, December 17 in Beaumont, Texas at Lamar.

The Ragin' Cajuns-Tigers tilt at Neville Arena will be streamed live on SEC Network+ through the WatchESPN platform with JJ Jackson (pxp) and Joe Ciampi (color) providing the commentary. Fans in the Acadiana region can listen to call of the game by Steve Peloquin on 103.3 FM The Goat and 1420 AM and worldwide on the Varsity Network. Live stats will be provided by CajunStats.com.

Auburn (6-2) is the fourth Power 5 opponent that Louisiana faces this season. The Ragin' Cajuns faced then-No. 3 Texas, Colorado and Texas Tech – all during a grueling season-opening five-game stretch – in November.

Last Saturday's win over LCU moved the Ragin' Cajuns back above the .500 mark for the first time since the season-opening win over Houston back on November 7. It also stretched the current win streak to four games, putting the team on the positive side of the spectrum after experiencing a four-game losing streak in November (Nov. 11-20).

The last time Louisiana was on the road the squad picked up a two-game sweep of the UNT Fall Feast in Denton, Texas, defeating host-North Texas and Abilene Christian by dominating in points in the paint (72-38).

Tamera Johnson, who has already produced five double-digit scoring performances and three double-doubles, leads the Ragin' Cajuns averaging 10.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Other key scoring options include Lanay Wheaton (6.9), Nubia Benedith (6.6), Destiny Rice (6.1) and Sherry Porter (6.1) – all averaging six-plus points.

Wheaton tops the squad with 15 assists and is right behind Johnson (16 steals) for the team lead with 15 steals. Johnson and Caira Wren have combined for 46 offensive rebounds (5.1 per game).

Auburn is in the third game of its six-game homestand which has produced huge success with a 70-48 win over Louisiana's former Sun Belt rival Little Rock and 86-46 thumping of UCF.

The Tigers will challenge the Ragin' Cajuns with their height, the squad ranking sixth (6th) nationally with 6.4 blocks per game and 17th in the country with 15.9 offensive rebounds per contest. Junior Aicha Coulibaly (17.0) and redshirt senior Honesty Scott-Grayson (14.4) are the team's leading scorers.

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (5-4) at AUBURN (6-2)
Date / Time: Sunday, December 11, 2022 / 2:00 p.m. (CST)
Site: Auburn, Ala.
Arena: Neville Arena (9,121)

RADIO/TV
Radio: The GOAT 103.3 FM / 1420 AM
Talent: Steve Peloquin (PxP)
TV: SEC Network+
Talent: JJ Jackson (PxP); Joe Ciampi (analyst)

LIVE STATS/SOCIAL MEDIA
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsWBB | #GeauxCajuns

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Auburn leads, 3-0
In Auburn: Auburn leads, 2-0
Streak: Auburn +3
Last Meeting: Auburn 71-59, 11/25/18 (Auburn, Ala.)

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

Ties that Bind: Louisiana head coach Garry Brodhead and Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris are quite familiar with one another, as Harris was on Vic Schaefer's staff at Mississippi State when the Ragin' Cajuns and Bulldogs met five times from 2013-19.
Welcomed Rest: The seven-day break following last Saturday's Louisiana Christian contest provided critical rest for the Ragin' Cajuns, specifically the starting rotation, who played nine games over 27 days which included facing four teams coming off postseason appearances from 2021-22.
Gaining Confidence: The Ragin' Cajuns shot 39 percent (22-of-56) vs. Louisiana Christian, marking the fourth straight game above 35 percent. Before the uptick, the squad's season average was 27 percent.
Turning 'Em Over: Five times the Ragin' Cajuns have forced the opposition into 20-plus turnovers including 25 from then-No. 3 Texas (Nov. 11) and a season-high 31 forced vs. Louisiana Christian (Dec. 3). Louisiana ranks Top 50 (at No. 45) nationally in turnovers forced per game (20.7).
All-Around Trouble: Tamera Johnson has shown she'll pose problems for opposing teams in the coming weeks and months – offensively and defensively. She's two weeks removed from a double-double dominated performance of the UNT Fall Feast in which she averaged 14.5 points and 11 rebounds. Also, she's the team's season leader in steals (16).

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana plays its final two non-conference games of the 2022-23 season over a three-day period, starting Saturday, December 17 in Beaumont, Texas with a 2:00 p.m. game against Lamar and concluding Monday, December 19 at the Cajundome in a 6:00 p.m. game with LSU-Alexandria.

The Lamar and LSUA contests are the last outings for the Ragin' Cajuns prior to the Christmas break. Sun Belt Conference play starts after the holiday pause, with Georgia State and Coastal Carolina visiting the Cajundome from Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 29-31.

FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsWBB), Facebook (/RaginCajunsWBB) or Instagram (@RaginCajunsWBB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Women's Basketball.

Fans are also encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.

- www.RaginCajuns.com -

Louisiana Returns to the Court in Sunday Matinee at Auburn

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Players Mentioned

Nubia Benedith

Tamera Johnson

Sherry Porter

Destiny Rice

Lanay Wheaton

Caira Wren

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University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Louisiana Returns to the Court in Sunday Matinee at Auburn

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Nubia Benedith

Tamera Johnson

Sherry Porter

Destiny Rice

Lanay Wheaton

Caira Wren

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