Homestanding Cajuns in Search of Bounce-Back Performance

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team remains at the Cajundome and plays the second game of its month-ending, four-game homestand on Sunday, December 17 battling North Texas in a 4:00 p.m. non-conference contest.

Louisiana (3-4) looks to get back on the winning side of things and put behind a frustrating loss in the homestand opener on Wednesday (Dec. 13) in which a 13-point halftime lead was yielded to Lamar.

The Ragin' Cajuns and North Texas (9-1) square off for the second straight season. Sunday's meeting is an instant rematch of last November's matchup in Denton, won by UL 60-59, where Caira Wren hit a layup with 13.8 seconds left to complete the exhilarating come-from-behind victory.

Admission to the game – and all UL Women's Basketball games throughout the entire season – is free and open to the public. As part of this week's "Holiday Hoops" theme fans are encouraged to wear their favorite Ugly Christmas sweaters to participate in Sunday's festivities.

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

Playing for the third time in seven days, which is the busiest stretch since the season-opening week back in early November (Nov. 6-12), the Cajuns will set out to halt a two-game losing streak. Similar to Lamar preventing the UL from avenging last season's loss, the Cajuns aim to prevent UNT from doing the same.

The UNT matchup moves Louisiana ever so close to Sun Belt play. Sunday's meeting with the Mean Green and Tuesday's Education Game vs. LSU-Shreveport is all that separates the squad from the SBC opener on Dec. 30.

Former SBC foes, UL and UNT meet at the Cajundome for only the second time since the Mean Green departed the league following the 2012-13 season.

Louisiana will look to use its stingy defense, which yields just 59.9 points per game, to control a Mean Green offense that has averaged 78-plus points on 46.6 percent shooting over the first 10 games.

Tamera Johnson's 14-point and eight-plus rebound average is leading the Cajuns efforts thus far. Brandi Williams, back from injury that forced her out the past two seasons, has already knocked down 16 triples and is averaging 13.2 points per game. Third-year starting point guard Destiny Rice is averaging near nine points per game on 44 percent shooting and is coming off a season-high five assists vs. Lamar, while Utah State transfer Tamiah Robinson leads with 16 assists and is second in rebounds (34).

North Texas has started strong under the guidance of new head coach Jason Burton, in his first year with the Mean Green after a successful nine-year run at Texas A&M-Commerce. Winners of seven straight dating back to November 16, UNT is led by current American Athletic Conference Player of the Week DesiRay Kernal who is averaging 18.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game during the win streak. Kernal is coming off back-to-back double-doubles posted vs. UAPB and Alcorn State last week.

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (3-4, 0-0 SBC) vs. NORTH TEXAS (9-1, 0-0 AAC)
Date / Time: Sunday, December 17, 2023 / 4:00 p.m.
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), Byron Starks (analyst)

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

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: North Texas leads, 21-18
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 11-7
In Denton: North Texas leads, 13-6
At Neutral Sites: Tied, 1-1
Streak: Louisiana, +1
Last Meeting: Louisiana, 60-59 (11/25/22 at Denton, Texas)

Series Notables
- Programs were conference foes in Southland (1984-87) and Sun Belt Conference (2001-13).
- Have met only three times since UNT left Sun Belt following the 2012-13 season (met 27 times in SBC era).
- Sunday's game marks the fourth matchup dating back to the 2019-20 campaign.
- First Cajundome meeting since December 2020, when UL opened its COVID-shortened season.
- Mean Green has won last three games held in Lafayette; Cajuns last home win over UNT came in January 2011 at E.K. Long Gym.
- UL's first post-SBC series win came last November in Denton and led to UNT Thanksgiving Tourney title.

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Garry Brodhead (Louisiana, 1980)
Record at Louisiana: 188-155 (12th season), Career Record: Same

NORTH TEXAS
Head Coach: Jason Burton (Austin College, 2007)
Record at North Texas: 9-1 (first season), Career Record: 180-91 (10th season)

STORY LINES
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team welcomes North Texas to the Cajundome on Sunday, December 17 as the team's month-ending, four-game holiday homestand continues.
• It's game No. 2 of the Cajuns' homestand which began on Wednesday (Dec. 13) vs. Lamar.
• The UNT contest is one of only two remaining non-conference games – Tuesday's Education Game vs. LSU-Shreveport being the other – prior to the start of Sun Bely play when the homestand concludes on December 30 vs. App State.
• The Cajuns-Mean Green matchup is an instant rematch of last November's thrilling UL victory in Denton in which Caira Wren hit a layup with 13.8 seconds left to provide a 60-59 victory.
• Louisiana seeks to halt a two-game losing streak and rebound from a frustrating homestand-opening loss to Lamar which saw the visiting Cardinals overcome a 13-point halftime deficit.
• UL and UNT meet for just the fourth time since the Mean Green left the Sun Belt after the 2012-13 season.
• The Cajuns are the healthiest they've been all season – all 17 players on the roster now available to play.
• 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.

QUICK HITS
• Tamera Johnson has hit double digits in points all seven regular season games, averaging a team-best 14.9 points per game. She has two double-doubles to her credit (vs. Nicholls; at New Orleans).
• Brandi Williams has an active streak of five straight games in double figures after scoring 14 points vs. Lamar.
• Tamera Johnson and Brandi Williams are fueling the Cajuns' efforts, averaging a combined 28.1 points.
• The Ragin' Cajuns shot a season-high 56 percent (25-of-45) in the homestand opener vs. Lamar.
• Destiny Rice's personal season-high of five assists led UL to posting a team season-high 14 assists vs. Lamar.
• 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 12 wins away from recording his 200th win at Louisiana.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin' Cajuns host LSU-Shreveport on Tuesday, December 19 in the annual Education Game at the Cajundome, scheduled for an 11:00 a.m. tipoff. Nearly 3,000 Acadiana-area students are expected to be in attendance for the field trip outing.

The event is open to all students in grades K-12 and admission is free. Students will receive a Ragin' Cajuns t-shirt, activity pack, and a discounted meal deal that includes a hot dog, fries, and drink.

The LSU-S contest marks Louisiana's final non-conference game prior to the start of Sun Belt Conference play on December 30 when the current homestand concludes with a 1:00 p.m. contest 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 -

Homestanding Cajuns in Search of Bounce-Back Performance

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Players Mentioned

Tamera Johnson

Destiny Rice

Tamiah Robinson

Lanay Wheaton

Brandi Williams

Caira Wren

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