Louisiana, Old Dominion Meet at Cajundome for First-Time Matchup

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team settles into a weekend at home when the squad takes the court at the Cajundome on Thursday, January 19 for a 6:00 p.m. meeting with new Sun Belt Conference foe Old Dominion.

Louisiana (9-9, 3-3 SBC) is kicking off its final homestand of January and aims to remain in the upper half of the SBC standings as the league schedule moves closer to the halfway point.

After Thursday's meeting with ODU (12-7, 4-2 SBC) the Ragin' Cajuns complete the two-game set at the Cajundome with their Alumni Game on Saturday (Jan. 21) against Arkansas State.

The Louisiana-ODU contest will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Dan McDonald (pxp) and Byron Starks (analyst) 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.

Admission to the game – and all home games throughout the entire season – is free of charge for all and open to the public. It's being dubbed the "Blackout Game" with fans encouraged to wear black attire.

The Ragin' Cajuns seek to rebound from last Saturday's hard-fought overtime loss at defending SBC champion Troy which interrupted the team's winning streak.

In the Troy contest, Louisiana continued its improved marksmanship from the floor by shooting 43 percent – the third straight game above 40 percent. As a result, the team's scoring production continued to rise as well generating 60-plus points for a third straight outing.

It'll be two like-minded teams when the Ragin' Cajuns and Monarchs collide, both accustomed to reaping the benefits of their defense. ODU and UL rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the Sun Belt in turnovers forced, both teams forcing an average of 20.9 per game.

Louisiana, back from the brief road trip to Troy, is continuing a mid-January stretch that features three out of four games at the Cajundome.

The Ragin' Cajuns are 6-2 on their home court which includes a 2-1 mark in SBC games. Most recently at the Cajundome, UL downed South Alabama 66-49 last Thursday (Jan. 12) behind a combined 34 points from Lanay Wheaton and Tamera Johnson to bounce back from the lone SBC home loss to a hot-shooting Coastal Carolina team on New Year's Eve.

For the season, Johnson paces Louisiana in scoring (10.8) and rebounding (6.6). The Lafayette native has generated 10 double-digit scoring performances and three double-doubles. Wheaton, who turned in back-to-back 20-plus point games right before the Christmas break and posted another 20-point outing at Troy, has raised her average nearly four points the past month and has moved into a tie with Johnson for the team lead (10.8).

In SBC play, Wheaton (12.7) and Johnson (11.8) have been the primary scorers. Destiny Rice has increased her SBC-play average to 9.0 points, boosted by a career-high 21 points at Texas State and followed up by an average of 10 points per game in last week's USA-Troy set.

Old Dominion arrives at the Cajundome with a four-game winning streak, having bounced back from a pair of road defeats on SBC Opening Weekend (at App State and James Madison). The Monarchs, listed at No. 22 in CollegeInsider.com's Mid-Major Top 25 poll, are led in scoring by Amari Young (11.0) and Makayla Dickens (10.9). Dickens has knocked down a team-high 39 three-pointers and Young leads the team on the glass with 8.1 rebounds per outing having recently eclipsed 1,000 career rebounds.

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (9-9, 3-3 SBC) vs. OLD DOMINION (12-7, 4-2 SBC)
Date / Time: Thursday, January 19, 2023 / 6:00 p.m. (CST)
Site: Lafayette, La.
Arena: Cajundome (12,362)

RADIO/TV
Radio: The GOAT 103.3 FM / 1420 AM
Talent: Steve Peloquin (PxP)
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Dan McDonald (PxP); Byron Starks (Analyst)

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

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: First Meeting
In Lafayette: First Meeting
Streak: n/a
Noteworthy: First-ever matchup between the two programs whose histories date back to the 1970s … ODU rejoined the Sun Belt Conference in July 2022 (previously a member from 1982-83 to 1990-91) … Monarchs to become the second Sun Belt newcomer the Ragin' Cajuns face in the 2022-23 season (met Southern Miss on January 5 in Hattiesburg, Miss.).

FIVE-PLUS THINGS TO KNOW

Nice to Meet You: History will be made Thursday evening at the Cajundome as for the first time there will be a women's basketball matchup between Louisiana and Old Dominion.
Rhythm Found: Louisiana's current string of three consecutive games shooting above 40 percent marks a season-high streak.
Lanay Provides a Lift: Lanay Wheaton knocked down a combined 16 field goals, while shooting 53 percent, leading to 38 points in the Ragin' Cajuns' two-game set with South Alabama and Troy last week. She finished with a team-leading total in rebounds both games, averaging 7.0 rebounds for the week.
No Quit: The Ragin' Cajuns' tenacity was on display at Troy as the squad battled back from an eight-point deficit twice in the fourth quarter in sending the game to overtime.
It's an Art: Louisiana ranks Top 25 nationally, and a close second in the Sun Belt Conference, in turnovers forced per game (20.9). Eleven (11) times – and in seven of the last 10 games – the Ragin' Cajuns have forced the opposition into 20-plus turnovers.
Sun Belt Success Story: Dating back to the 2020-21 season in which Louisiana won the regular season championship, the program has won 25 of its last 33 Sun Belt Conference games.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin' Cajuns hold their Alumni Game at the Cajundome on Saturday, January 21 meeting Arkansas State in a 2:00 p.m. contest.

Prior to the game a Family Tailgate – featuring cotton candy, balloon art, halfcourt games and a fun jump – will be held from 12:00-1:30 p.m. At halftime of the matchup with ASU there will be an on-court recognition of those alumni in attendance.

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, Old Dominion Meet at Cajundome for First-Time Matchup

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Players Mentioned

Tamera Johnson

Destiny Rice

Lanay Wheaton

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University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Louisiana, Old Dominion Meet at Cajundome for First-Time Matchup

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Tamera Johnson

Destiny Rice

Lanay Wheaton

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