Cajuns and Colonels Set for Saturday Matinee at the Cajundome

LAFAYETTE – Rested up from a busy season-opening week, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team returns to the court on Saturday, November 18 taking on Nicholls in a 2:00 p.m. game at the Cajundome.

The Ragin' Cajuns (1-2), who last played on Sunday, November 12 vs. Kent State in the MAC-SBC Challenge, are resuming their current four-game homestand which takes them through the month of November.

Louisiana meets Nicholls on the hardwood for the first time since the 2012-13 season and hosts the Colonels (3-1) inside the Cajundome for the first time since December 1996.

The Cajuns look to halt a two-game losing streak prior to taking a two-week break from regular season action.

Admission to the UL-Nicholls contest – and all UL Women's Basketball games throughout the entire season – is free and open to the public. The Cajuns are holding a Canned Food Drive to benefit the United Way of Acadiana – the fan who brings the most items will win a signed basketball from the Cajuns coaching staff.

The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and can be heard in the Acadiana region on Classic Rock 105.1 FM and worldwide on the Varsity Network.

Tamera Johnson, who has produced double figures in scoring all three games averaging 14.7 points per game, and Brandi Williams, averaging 11.3 points per game and coming off a 12-of-13 showing at the free throw line vs. Kent State, have been the early season standouts for the Ragin' Cajuns.

While Louisiana's offense has been limited with key players missing (Lanay Wheaton, Mariah Stewart, Aasia Sam), the patented defense of the Garry Brodhead era has kept the team in the game despite the current losing skid. UL has held all three foes to 65 or less and limited the opposition to 34.1 percent shooting (23 percent from three-point range).

Nicholls is under the guidance of first-year head coach Justin Payne who debuted with a 69-66 win on the road at Tulane. The Colonels are led by two double figure scorers: sophomore forward Lexi Alexander who leads the team with 14.5 points per contest and freshman guard Britiya Curtis who is averaging 11.8 points per game.

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (1-2, 0-0 SBC) vs. NICHOLLS (3-1, 0-0 SLC)
Date / Time: Saturday, November 18, 2023 / 2:00 p.m.
Site: Lafayette, La.
Arena: Cajundome (12,362)

RADIO/TV
Radio: Classic Rock 105.1 FM
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: Louisiana leads, 32-20
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 17-6
In Thibodaux: Tied, 14-14
At Neutral Sites: Louisiana leads, 1-0
Streak: Nicholls, +2
Last Meeting: Nicholls, 71-62 (11/19/12 at Thibodaux, La.)

Series Notables
- First matchup in 10-plus years; last meeting occurred in Thibodaux in the 2012-13 season – the inaugural campaign of the Garry Brodhead era.
- Second meeting of the Brodhead era, the Colonels winning the lone prior contest (Nov. 19, 2012).
- First Cajundome meeting since Dec. 18, 1996.
- Series dates back to January 1975 with the programs meeting annually through the 2005-06 season.
- Only four meetings held since the 2007-08 season.
- Cajuns built series lead with five separate win streaks of four-plus games, the longest an 11-game win streak from January 1980 through January 1984.

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Garry Brodhead (Louisiana, 1980)
Record at Louisiana: 186-153 (12th season), Career Record: Same

NICHOLLS
Head Coach: Justin Payne (Nicholls, 2009)
Record at Nicholls: 3-1 (first season), Career Record: 72-36 (fifth season)

STORY LINES
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team continues its November-ending, four-game homestand on Saturday, November 18 hosting Nicholls at the Cajundome.
• The contest with the Colonels is the first between the two programs since the 2012-13 season.
• It's the Ragin' Cajuns last outing before a two-week break from regular season action. UL closes November with exhibition games on Nov. 21 vs. Xavier (La.) and Nov. 27 vs. Loyola, (La.).
• The Cajuns are back in action after a five-day layoff, last playing on Sunday, Nov. 12 vs. Kent State.
• Saturday marks the first Cajuns-Colonels matchup in the Cajundome since December 1996.
• UL seeks to end a two-game losing streak which began after a season-opening win over Spring Hill.
• The Cajuns are currently in a stretch of playing within the State of Louisiana borders until December 30.
• UL has played shorthanded with Lanay Wheaton, Mariah Stewart and ULM transfer Aasia Sam all missing time. The offense has been slowed, as a result, averaging 54.5 points vs. D1 competition.

QUICK HITS
• Tamera Johnson hit double digits all three games last week, averaging a team-best 14.7 points per game.
• Brandi Williams is 15-of-17 (88%) at the free throw line, pacing UL's so-far improved effort of 69 percent.
• 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.
• 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 returned 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 receiving an added boost on offense with the 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
Following Saturday's meeting with Nicholls, Louisiana completes its homestand at the Cajundome with back-to-back exhibition games surrounding Thanksgiving on Nov. 21 vs. Xavier (La.) and Nov. 27 vs. Loyola, (La.).

The Ragin' Cajuns will resume regular season play on Saturday, December 2 in New Orleans facing the Privateers in a 2:00 p.m. contest at Lakefront Arena.

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 and Colonels Set for Saturday Matinee at the Cajundome

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Players Mentioned

Tamera Johnson

Destiny Rice

Aasia Sam

Mariah Stewart

Lanay Wheaton

Brandi Williams

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