Louisiana Returns Home Looking to Build off of Road Success

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team is back at the Cajundome to kick off play in the month of February with a brief two-game homestand, starting on Thursday, February 2 in a 5:00 p.m. matchup against ULM.

The weekend homestand, which also includes a bout with Sun Belt-leader Troy at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, marks the first of four remaining home games in the 2022-23 season.

The Ragin' Cajuns (13-9, 7-3 SBC) are returning to the Cajundome following a huge road sweep of Georgia Southern and App State last week that stretched the team's winning streak to a season-high tying four games and the longest win streak in SBC play this season.

The recent road success has lifted Louisiana into second place in the Sun Belt standings and only one game off the lead as the final month of play (February) gets underway.

The Louisiana Athletics Department is celebrating National Girls & Women in Sports Day on Thursday. Admission to the game – and all home games throughout the entire season – is free of charge for all and open to the public.

Thursday's matchup with ULM (7-14, 3-7 SBC) will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Dan McDonald (pxp) and Eric Mouton (analyst) providing the commentary. Fans in the Acadiana region can listen to call of the game by Steve Peloquin on 103.3 FM The Goat and 1420 AM and worldwide on the Varsity Network. Live stats will be provided by CajunStats.com.

It's the first of two meetings with the Warhawks this season. Louisiana returns the visit in two weeks on Thursday, February 16 at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe.

The Ragin' Cajuns carry a lengthy 16-game win streak over ULM but aren't overlooking the visitors despite the recent history, knowing that each game is critical in keeping pace with the others near the top of the Sun Belt ledger.

Louisiana seeks to continue building momentum gained on the road last week, successfully controlling the Sun Belt's top scoring offense in Georgia Southern on Thursday in Statesboro and capturing a double-digit win at App State on Saturday without the services of leading scorer Lanay Wheaton.

Tamera Johnson led the charge in the road sweep – which marked the Ragin' Cajuns' second consecutive 2-0 week in SBC play – turning in an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double at Georgia Southern and a season-high 22 points at App State.

Winners of six of their last seven games, the Ragin' Cajuns have continued to benefit from the January-established recipe of consistently shooting at or near 40 percent and scoring 60-plus, a streak that began with the resounding 71-51 road win at Texas State back on January 7, combined with their patented defense which has held the opposition to 60 points or less in all but one of the games during the hot streak.

Louisiana's defense has continued to be the main constant in the team's success in Sun Belt play. The Ragin' Cajuns have now held the opposition to 60 points or less in all but two of the 10 games played so far.

The Ragin' Cajuns have won three straight in the Cajundome and are unbeaten at home since the turn of the calendar year. For the season, Louisiana is 8-2 on its home court which includes a 4-1 mark in SBC games.

Boosted by four 20-point games since mid-December, and having scored at least 18 points each of her last four outings, Wheaton has increased her season scoring average nearly five full points and taken over the team lead now averaging 11.7 points per game. Johnson, the previous leading scorer, follows closely at 11.5 points per game, has scored double figures 14 times and recorded five double-doubles.

In SBC play, Wheaton (14.4) and Johnson (13.0) have been the primary scorers. Destiny Rice has increased her SBC-play average to 8.5 points, boosted by a career-high 21 points at Texas State and followed up by an average of 10 points per game in the South Alabama-Troy set (January 12-14).

ULM leads the Sun Belt and ranks No. 13 in NCAA Division I in blocked shots, averaging 5.2 per game, and has generated 21.6 percent (294 of 1,361 points) of its offense from the free-throw line. Graduate center Emma Merriweather leads the Warhawks in scoring (10.0), rebounding (9.8) and blocks (2.9). Merriweather is averaging 13.6 points and 13.4 rebounds over her last eight games, including seven double-doubles.

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (13-9, 7-3 SBC) vs. ULM (7-14, 3-7 SBC)
Date / Time: Thursday, February 2, 2023 / 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Site: Lafayette, La.
Arena: Cajundome (12,362)

RADIO/TV
Radio: The GOAT 103.3 FM / 1420 AM
Talent: Steve Peloquin (PxP)
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Dan McDonald (PxP); Eric Mouton (Analyst)

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

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: ULM leads, 43-23
In Lafayette: ULM leads, 17-12
Streak: Louisiana +16
Last Meeting: UL 73-53, 2/19/22 (Monroe, La.)
Last Time in Lafayette: UL 76-55, 1/29/22 (Lafayette, La.)
Noteworthy: Thursday's contest at the Cajundome marks the 67th meeting all-time between the two in-state foes and the 33rd Sun Belt regular season matchup… the series has been one-sided in Louisiana's favor as of late, with the Ragin' Cajuns having won 16 straight over the Warhawks dating back to February 2015 … during the win streak, Louisiana has held ULM below 60 points in all but one of the matchups … the Ragin' Cajuns 20-13 advantage in the Sun Belt Conference era (2006-present) has closed the gap in a series once-dominated by the Warhawks from the 1970s to early 1990s… Louisiana is 17-4 against ULM during Garry Brodhead's tenure ... both Ragin' Cajuns wins in the 2021-22 season were by 20-plus point margins; the average margin of victory during the current 16-game winning streak has been 11.8 points per game.

FIVE-PLUS THINGS TO KNOW

The Back Nine: Last Saturday, the entire Sun Belt Conference "made the turn" and began the second half of league play, signaling the final nine-game stretch leading up to the conference tournament in Pensacola (Feb. 28-March 6). With February having arrived, each league contest carries more meaning starting on Thursday night.
Developing Trend: Louisiana has experienced a complete reversal in fortune on offense throughout the course of Sun Belt Conference play, connecting on 41.1 percent of its shots overall (225-of-548) and 33.3 percent (52-of156) from beyond the arc. The most marked improvement has been from the three-point line, lifting the mark above 30 percent after converting just 24.6 percent in non-conference play.
Setting the Bar: By holding the opposition to less than 60 points in eight of 10 Sun Belt games, the Ragin' Cajuns sit atop the conference in scoring defense in league play allowing just 54.6 points per game (slightly ahead of USM's 55.3 ppg allowed).
It's the Small Details: A subtle layer to the Ragin' Cajuns stout defensive system is the ability to draw a charge to force a turnover from the opposition. Twice in last Thursday's win at Georgia Southern it was a charge drawn by Tamera Johnson that wiped out a potential three-point play for the Eagles.
It's an Art: Louisiana ranks Top 30 nationally, and second within the Sun Belt Conference, in turnovers forced per game (20.5). Thirteen (13) times – and in nine of the last 14 games – the Ragin' Cajuns have forced the opposition into 20-plus turnovers.
Sun Belt Success Story: Dating back to the 2020-21 season in which Louisiana won the regular season championship, the program has won 29 of its last 37 Sun Belt Conference games.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana has its first rematch in Sun Belt Conference play when league-leading Troy visits the Cajundome on Saturday, February 4. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

The Ragin' Cajuns dropped a hard-fought overtime decision, 85-78, to the Trojans back on January 14 in Troy, Alabama – the team's lone defeat in the current stretch of six wins in the past seven games.

Entering the week, Louisiana trailed Troy by one game for the top spot in the SBC standings.

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 -

Louisiana Returns Home Looking to Build off of Road Success

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Players Mentioned

Tamera Johnson

Destiny Rice

Lanay Wheaton

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University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Louisiana Returns Home Looking to Build off of Road Success

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Tamera Johnson

Destiny Rice

Lanay Wheaton

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