Cajuns Take the Court Sunday at the Cajundome

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team returns to the Cajundome on Sunday, November 12 for a MAC-Sun Belt Challenge contest with Kent State that is set to tip off at 4:00 p.m.

The Ragin' Cajuns (1-1) are closing out a three-game, season-opening stretch and are seeking to build upon a strong showing on the road at SEC-foe Auburn on Thursday. Louisiana was either leading or tied with the Tigers from opening tip through midway of the third quarter.

Sunday's game marks the 2023-24 season opener for Kent State, which is coming off a 20-win season (21-11, 12-6 MAC in 2022-23) and appearance in the postseason WNIT. The Golden Flashes are ranked No. 16 in the preseason CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25.

Admission to the UL-KSU matchup – and all UL Women's Basketball games throughout the entire season – is free and open to the public. The Cajuns are hosting Biddy Ballers Night having invited Acadiana-area biddy basketball leagues to attend.

The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and can be heard in the Acadiana region on 103.3 FM and 1420 AM and worldwide on the Varsity Network.

The first-ever meeting between Louisiana and Kent State was made possible by the MAC-SBC Challenge – a scheduling alliance in the sports of men's and women's basketball, to take place during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. The Sun Belt women's programs are hosting the initial matchup, based upon projected NET rankings, while the second round in February, determined by real-time NET rankings and announced in January, is being hosted by the MAC schools on the women's side.

UL is currently 1-0 at the Cajundome this season, collecting the 100th win of the Garry Brodhead era in the facility on Monday in a 75-45 season-opening win over Spring Hill.

The Cajuns trademark defense is back in form, holding both foes (Spring Hill, Auburn) to 60 or less the first two outings – limited Auburn to 16 in the first half. Offensively, Tamera Johnson has hit double figures twice and is averaging a team-high 14 points per game while Destiny Rice (16) and Brandi Williams (12) are coming off season-best scoring performances at Auburn.

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (1-1, 0-0 SBC) vs. KENT STATE (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
Date / Time: Sunday, November 12, 2023 / 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Site: Lafayette, La.
Arena: Cajundome (12,362)

RADIO/TV
Radio: The GOAT 103.3 FM/1420 AM
Talent: Dawson Eiserloh (PxP)
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Dan McDonald (PxP); Scott Brazda (analyst)

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

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: First Meeting
In Lafayette: First Meeting
In Kent, Ohio: –
At Neutral Sites: –
Streak: –
Last Meeting: –

Series Notables
- Matchup made possible by the creation of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge series which debuted this fall.
- Golden Flashes are the only first-time opponent (regular season or exhibition) currently on the Cajuns 2023-24 schedule (pending February MAC-SBC Challenge matchup).
- Kent State is just the second MAC program that the Cajuns face in program history.
- The only prior matchup with a MAC team came during the 1998-99 season vs. Buffalo (at the Rutgers Coca-Cola Classic).

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Garry Brodhead (Louisiana, 1980)
Record at Louisiana: 186-152 (12th season), Career Record: Same

KENT STATE
Head Coach: Todd Starkey (Montreat, 1993)
Record at Kent State: 122-88 (eighth season), Career Record: 287-183 (18th season)

STORY LINES
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team plays the third and final game of the opening week of the 2023-24 season on Sunday, November 12 taking on Kent State in the Cajundome.
• The contest is part of the MAC-SBC Challenge series, a scheduling alliance in the sports of men's and women's basketball, taking place during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
• Sunday's contest was determined based on projected NET rankings heading into the season. UL's second contest, to held in February, will be set based on real-time NET rankings and announced in January.
• The UL-KSU contest closes the first round of the inaugural MAC-SBC Challenge series, the Sun Belt hosting on the women's side. The February matchup will be hosted by the MAC women's programs.
• The Cajuns are entering their third game, while Kent State is playing its 2023-24 season opener.
• Louisiana faces Kent State for the first time in women's basketball. It's only the second matchup with a MAC school in program history, the lone prior occurrence coming against Buffalo in the 1998-99 season.

QUICK HITS
• The Cajuns held Auburn to 36 percent shooting and was either leading or tied from opening tip to halfway through the third quarter.
• UL's defense forced 28 turnovers and limited Spring Hill to 29 percent shooting in the season opener.
• UL returns four of five starters from the 2022-23 squad including All-Sun Belt performer Lanay Wheaton.
• Lanay Wheaton was selected as a second team member on the 2023-24 Preseason All-Sun Belt team – her second straight preseason nod.
• Louisiana was picked sixth (6th) in the Sun Belt's preseason coaches poll. Last season, the Cajuns were a mere three games shy of a conference championship.
• The Ragin' Cajuns return their top two leading scorers, the duo of Lanay Wheaton (12.3 ppg) and Tamera Johnson (11.3), as well as the top rebounder in Johnson (7.3 rpg).
• UL is expecting an added boost on offense, with the much-awaited return of 1,000-point career scorer, and three-point threat, Brandi Williams (missed all but four games the past two seasons with injury).
• Senior Destiny Rice is in her third season as the starting point guard. Rice tallied 50-plus assists and 200- plus points the previous two seasons and is UL's top free throw shooter (147 makes at 72 percent).
• Head coach Garry Brodhead, the lone coach in program history to reach 100 wins, is presently 14 wins away from recording his 200th win at Louisiana.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana continues its four-game homestand, which keeps the squad at the Cajundome through the remainder of November, meeting Nicholls in a 2:00 p.m. contest on Saturday, November 18.

The contest with the Colonels is the first between the two programs since the 2012-13 season and is the Ragin' Cajuns last before a two-week break from regular season action.

Following the Nicholls game, UL's homestand finishes with back-to-back exhibition games surrounding Thanksgiving on Nov. 21 vs. Xavier (La.) and Nov. 27 vs. Loyola, (La.).

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 -

Cajuns Take the Court Sunday at the Cajundome

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Players Mentioned

Tamera Johnson

Destiny Rice

Lanay Wheaton

Brandi Williams

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