Cajuns Resume Season Saturday Afternoon in NOLA

NEW ORLEANS – With a two-week exhibition break complete, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team returns to regular season play in the 2023-24 season on Saturday, December 2 with a 2:00 p.m. matchup against New Orleans at Lakefront Arena.

Louisiana (2-2) last played a regular season contest on November 18, capturing an overtime win over Nicholls at the Cajundome. Since then, the Cajuns have competed in exhibition games with Xavier (LA) on Nov. 21 and Loyola (LA) on Nov. 27.

Saturday's game with the Privateers (1-5) begins a brief two-game road trip which marks the final non-conference road games for UL. The mini-road swing concludes the following Sunday (Dec. 10) in Baton Rouge at defending national champion LSU.

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

The Ragin' Cajuns visit Lakefront Arena for the first time since November 2019. It's the team's first road outing since the November 9 visit to Auburn.

Louisiana carries an impressive 63-14 record vs. in-state schools during the Garry Brodhead era into the UNO meeting. The Cajuns won their first in-state matchup this season with the overtime win against Nicholls, the 14th straight triumph over an in-state program.

During the recent exhibition break, the Cajuns experienced improved overall shooting, making a combined 56 field goals on 43 percent shooting, and saw the emergence of junior forward Ashlyn Jones who was the leading scorer both games and averaged 10.5 points on 75 percent shooting (9-of-12).

UL also returned closer to full strength during the regular season pause as Mariah Stewart returned to the starting lineup and returning All-Sun Belt performer Lanay Wheaton took the court for the first time this season.

Tamera Johnson, who has scored double figures all four regular season games and is averaging 15.3 points per game, and Brandi Williams, already in double figures with 10 triples and is averaging 12.8 points per game, have been have been the early season standouts on the offensive side for the Ragin' Cajuns.

UNO is in its first season with head coach Trelanne Powell, the program's first coaching change since the 2011-12 season. DeArica Pryor leads the team and is ranked Top 10 in the Southland averaging 12.6 points per game. Alexis Calderon and Brianna Ellis entered the week as co-leaders in the Southland in steals at 13 apiece.

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (2-2, 0-0 SBC) at NEW ORLEANS (1-5, 0-0 SLC)
Date / Time: Saturday, December 2, 2023 / 2:00 p.m.
Site: New Orleans, La.
Arena: Lakefront Arena (8,785)

RADIO/TV
Radio: The GOAT 103.3 FM/1420 AM
Talent: Dawson Eiserloh (PxP)
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Jude Young (PxP)

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

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: New Orleans leads, 46-33
In Lafayette: New Orleans leads, 22-17
In New Orleans: New Orleans, 20-14
At Neutral Sites: New Orleans leads, 4-2
Last Meeting: Louisiana, 64-45 (11/20/21 at Lafayette, La.)

Series Notables
- Saturday's contest at Lakefront Arena marks the 80th meeting all-time between the Cajuns and Privateers.
- First matchup in NOLA since the 2019-20 season.
- Including a 64-45 win in the last matchup (Nov. 20, 2021 in Lafayette), UL has won the last eight meetings.
- The Cajuns' eight-game series win streak dates back to January 2010; it's the second-longest win streak over UNO (record is 10 straight from 2004-08).
- Since the 2003-04 season, UL has won 18 of the last 20 vs. UNO, trimming what once was a 44-15 series lead for the Privateers.
- Louisiana is 5-0 vs. UNO with Garry Brodhead.

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Garry Brodhead (Louisiana, 1980)
Record at Louisiana: 187-153 (12th season), Career Record: Same

NEW ORLEANS
Head Coach: Trelanne Powell (Columbus State, 2004)
Record at New Orleans: 1-5 (first season), Career Record: 97-37 (sixth season)

STORY LINES
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team resumes regular season play in the 2023-24 season on Saturday, December 2 in New Orleans with a matchup against the Privateers at Lakefront Arena.
• It's the first regular season contest for Louisiana since November 18 (vs. Nicholls), the squad taking in exhibition games vs. Xavier (LA) and Loyola (LA) the past two weeks.
• The Cajuns entered the exhibition break following a thrilling 69-63 overtime win over Nicholls in which a 13-point deficit with six minutes left in regulation was erased.
• Louisiana and New Orleans meet at Lakefront Arena for the first time since November 2019. UL has won the last three meetings at Lakefront Arena, the last UNO win in the facility occurring in January 2009.
• UL has controlled the series, overall, as of late, claiming 18 of the last 20 contests since the 2003-04 season.
• Saturday's UNO game, and next Sunday's trip to LSU, mark the Cajuns' final non-conference road games.
• Louisiana plays inside the state's borders throughout December, continuing a trend in which 11 of the 12 playing dates (including exhibitions) prior to New Year's Day all occur in the Pelican State.
• All-SBC performer Lanay Wheaton (offseason surgery rehab) returned to play during the exhibition break.

QUICK HITS
• The Cajuns own an impressive 63-14 record against in-state opponents under head coach Garry Brodhead.
• Tamera Johnson has hit double digits in points all four regular season games, averaging a team-best 15.3 points per game. She posted a 17-point, 17-rebound double-double vs. Nicholls.
• Brandi Williams is 17-of-20 (85%) and Tamera Johnson is 17-of-21 (81%) at the free throw line, pacing UL's so-far improved team effort of 70 percent (63-of-90).
• Ashlyn Jones was the Cajuns leading scorer in both exhibition games, hitting double digits both times. Jones averaged 10.5 points and shot a combined 75 percent (9-for-12) vs. Xavier (LA) and Loyola (LA).
• Lanay Wheaton was selected as a second team member on the 2023-24 Preseason All-Sun Belt team – her second straight preseason nod.
• Louisiana, three games away from a title last season, was picked sixth (6th) in the Sun Belt coaches poll.
• 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).
• Third-year starting point guard Destiny Rice tallied 50-plus assists and 200-plus points the previous two seasons and entered 2023-24 as the top free throw shooter (147 makes at 72 percent) during the time frame.
• Head coach Garry Brodhead, the lone coach in program history to reach 100 wins, is presently 13 wins away from recording his 200th win at Louisiana.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
After a break for final exams, the Ragin' Cajuns play their final non-conference road game of the season on Sunday, December 10 in Baton Rouge facing defending national champion and No. 7-ranked LSU in a 2:00 p.m. game at the PMAC.

Game coverage of the UL-LSU tilt includes live video on SECN+ (accessible via espn.com/watch), radio coverage on The GOAT 103.3 FM/1420 AM and live stats available at CajunStats.com.

Following the LSU contest, the Cajuns finish out the month of December at home in the Cajundome with a four-game homestand that begins on Wednesday, December 13 vs. Lamar and runs through Saturday, December 30 with the Sun Belt opener against App State.

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 Resume Season Saturday Afternoon in NOLA

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Players Mentioned

Tamera Johnson

Ashlyn Jones

Destiny Rice

Mariah Stewart

Lanay Wheaton

Brandi Williams

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