Cajuns Hosting App State in Sun Belt Conference Opener

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team closes out its month-ending, four-game holiday homestand and begins Sun Belt Conference play on Saturday, December 30 hosting App State. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the Cajundome.

Louisiana (4-5, 0-0 SBC) is returning to play after a 10-day Christmas holiday break that followed the December 19 Education Game win over LSU Shreveport. The Cajuns look to exit December on a winning streak and build momentum for an upcoming four-game conference road trip that begins next Thursday (Jan. 4).

A member since the 1991-92 season, UL is opening its 33rd season of competition within the Sun Belt Conference. It's the third straight season that the league opener is held at the Cajundome.

Admission to the game – and all UL Women's Basketball games throughout the entire season – is free and open to the public.

The matchup with the Mountaineers (6-5, 0-0 SBC) 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.

Saturday's game ends a near five-year absence by App State from the Cajundome. The SBC East member last visited during the 2018-19 season in a game held in January 2019.

Playing their seventh home game in 10 outings, the Ragin' Cajuns are concluding a homestand that started back on December 13 vs. Lamar. Through the first three games of the stretch at home, the squad has made at least six three-pointers each time highlighted by eight triples on 50 percent shooting vs. LSU-S (Dec. 19).

In the SBC opener, Louisiana has an opportunity to gain a measure of revenge against the squad that prematurely ended its stay at the 2023 SBC Tournament. App State limited UL to 24 percent (14-of-59) shooting on March 1 in Pensacola, a game the Cajuns dropped 51-38 in the second round of the tournament.

The Ragin' Cajuns are 4-7 in SBC openers in the Garry Brodhead era, though eight of those previous 11 openers occurred on the road. It's the first time App State provides the opposition for the conference opener.

Tamera Johnson at 13.3 points per game and Brandi Williams at 11.6 points per game have charged the Cajuns offense thus far. Johnson is the top rebounder with 65 total at a rate of 8.1 per game, while Williams has already knocked down 18 triples.

Third-year starting point guard Destiny Rice is averaging near nine points per game on 45 percent shooting and Utah State transfer Tamiah Robinson leads with 20 assists and is second in rebounds (36).

Last season's Sun Belt leader in scoring defense both overall and in league play, the Cajuns are right back near the top and enter SBC play ranked fourth (4th) in the league yielding just 59.6 points per game.

App State is led by all-around impact player Faith Alston who stands third in the SBC in assists (49) and assists per game (4.5) and also ranks Top 5 in points (202), points per game (18.4), field goals (67), steals (25) and steals per game (2.27). As a team, the Mountaineers rank second in the SBC for free throws made per game (16.4) and stand sixth for made three-pointers per game (5.8) and blocks per game (3.1).

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (4-5, 0-0 SBC) vs. APP STATE (6-5, 0-0 SBC)
Date / Time: Saturday, December 30, 2023 / 1:00 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: Louisiana leads, 7-5
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 4-0
In Boone, N.C.: App State leads, 4-3
At Neutral Sites: App State leads, 1-0
Streak: App State, +1
Last Meeting: App State, 51-38 (3/1/23 at Pensacola, Fla.)

Series Notables
- First meeting at the Cajundome since January 2019; previous four regular season matchups were in Boone.
- Louisiana holds a 4-0 edge in the Cajundome.
- Saturday's game marks the 13th meeting between Louisiana and App State.
- Series began when App State joined the Sun Belt Conference in the 2014-15 season.
- UL is the only road team to win in the series.
- Cajuns defense has held the Mountaineers below 60 each of the last four meetings.
- App State claimed the lone neutral site game, capturing 2023 SBC Tournament matchup in Pensacola.

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Garry Brodhead (Louisiana, 1980)
Record at Louisiana: 189-156 (12th season), Career Record: Same

APP STATE
Head Coach: Angel Elderkin (Southern Maine, 1999)
Record at App State: 123-160 (10th season), Career Record: Same

STORY LINES
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team returns to the court following a 10-day break from play for the Christmas holiday, opening Sun Belt Conference play at the Cajundome on Saturday, December 30 vs. App State.
• It's the fourth and final game of the Cajuns' month-ending, four-game holiday homestand which began on Wednesday, December 13 vs. Lamar.
• Louisiana kicks off Sun Belt play at the Cajundome for the third consecutive season.
• Louisiana is also concluding a stretch in which 11 of the 12 playing dates (including exhibitions) prior to New Year's Day have all occurred inside the state's borders.
• UL halted a three-game losing streak its last outing, topping LSU Shreveport in the Education Game on December 19 prior to the Christmas holiday break.
• It's the first visit by App State to the Cajundome since the 2018-19 season (game played in January 2019).
• Louisiana successfully defended its home court each of App State's previous four visits.
• Louisiana, a member since the 1991-92 season, is opening its 33rd season of competition within the Sun Belt Conference.

QUICK HITS
• UL produced a 101-94 record in Sun Belt play over the first 11 seasons of the Garry Brodhead era.
• The Cajuns are 4-7 in SBC openers under Garry Brodhead, however eight of previous 11 were on the road.
• Tamera Johnson scored double digits the first seven games, leading her to a team-best 13.3 points average.
• Brandi Williams has converted 64 percent of her field goal makes from three-point range (18 of 28 total FGM).
• Tamera Johnson and Brandi Williams are fueling the Cajuns' efforts, averaging a combined 24.9 points.
• UL has held foes to 65 points or less all but two games – the only times yielding 70-plus.
• The Cajuns' eight (8) triples vs. LSU Shreveport marked a third straight game with at least six (6) makes.
• 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 has received 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 starter Destiny Rice tallied 50-plus assists and 200-plus points the previous two seasons.
• Head coach Garry Brodhead, the lone coach in program history to reach 100 wins, is presently 11 wins away from recording his 200th win at Louisiana.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin' Cajuns tackle their longest road stretch of the season: a two-week, four-game SBC trek that takes the squad to Old Dominion and James Madison from January 4-6 followed by trips to Troy and Arkansas State from January 10-13.

Louisiana starts the trip with its first-ever visit to Norfolk, Virginia, meeting ODU in a 5:30 p.m. (CST) contest on Thursday (Jan. 4). That'll be followed by a matchup with JMU at the Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia for the second straight season, this year's bout set for 12:00 p.m. (CST) on Saturday (Jan. 6).

Live video coverage of all games on the road trip is available on ESPN+ while games can be heard in the Acadiana region on The GOAT 103.3 FM and 1420 AM and worldwide on the Varsity Network.

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 Hosting App State in Sun Belt Conference Opener

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Players Mentioned

Tamera Johnson

Destiny Rice

Tamiah Robinson

Lanay Wheaton

Brandi Williams

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