Louisiana in Search of Continued Road Success on Saturday

HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team takes in the second game of its new year-opening, four-game road trip on Saturday, January 6 facing James Madison at 12:00 p.m. (CST) inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The Ragin' Cajuns (5-6, 1-1 SBC) seek a 2-0 start to the road trip, coming off a 66-61 win over Old Dominion on Thursday in Norfolk, Virginia.

It's the second straight season UL battles JMU (10-4, 2-0 SBC) at the Atlantic Union Bank Center. The Cajuns aim to avenge last February's 65-59 loss to the Dukes – a night the hosts benefitted from a 30-point edge from the three-point line.

All the action between the Ragin' Cajuns and Dukes can be viewed on ESPN+ while radio coverage is available in the Acadiana region on The GOAT 103.3 FM and 1420 AM and worldwide on the Varsity Network.

The start of the road trip coincided with return of Louisiana's leading scorer and leading rebounder, Tamera Johnson. Her presence was immediately felt to the tune of a season-high 20 points leading the way in bouncing back from the SBC-opening defeat to App State.

The ODU win evened UL's road record, now at 2-2, and saw the squad shoot 47 percent (21-of-44) and score 66 points against the Sun Belt's top scoring defense. It marked the second-highest field goal percentage and second-most points allowed by the Monarchs this season.

The Cajuns increased productivity from the bench continued in the early stages of SBC play, led once again by Jaylyn James who poured in a career-high 16 points in Norfolk. Two games into league play, UL is averaging 28.5 points per game from its bench.

Johnson, who produced her eighth double-digit scoring performance in nine games, averages a team-leading 14.0 points per game. The Lafayette native averages five-plus field goal makes on 46 percent shooting (46-of-99).

Brandi Williams follows with 11.2 points per game and a team-best 20 triples and the duo of Tamiah Robinson (23) and Destiny Rice (22) have 45 assists between them. Johnson tops the charts with 70 rebounds (18 offense, 52 defense) and is supported by a group of five others with 20-plus boards.

JMU, along with Marshall, is one of the two teams left to be undefeated in SBC play after the first two games. The Dukes came in ninth in the CollegeInsider.Com Mid-Major Top 25 poll on Jan. 2 and are currently listed at No. 100 in the NCAA Net Rankings. The trio of Kseniia Kozlova (11.9), Jamia Hazell (11.6) and Peyton McDaniel (11.6) lead the way, each averaging 11-plus points per game.

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (5-6, 1-1 SBC) at JAMES MADISON (10-4, 2-0 SBC)
Date / Time: Saturday, January 6, 2024 / 12:00 p.m. (CST)
Site: Harrisonburg, Va.
Arena: Atlantic Union Bank Center (8,500)

RADIO/TV
Radio: The GOAT 103.3 FM/1420 AM
Talent: Dawson Eiserloh (PxP)
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Curt Dudley (PxP), Missy Buck (analyst)

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

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: James Madison leads, 2-0
In Lafayette: –
In Harrisonburg, Va.: JMU leads, 1-0
At Neutral Sites: JMU leads, 1-0
Streak: JMU, +2
Last Meeting: James Madison, 65-59 (2/9/23 at Harrisonburg, Va.)

Series Notables
- Meeting for the second straight season at Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg.
- February 2023 matchup in Harrisonburg marked the first-ever Sun Belt contest between the two programs.
- A 10-0 advantage in three-pointers lifted JMU to the 65-59 win over UL last February.
- JMU joined the Sun Belt Conference in July 2022, setting up the resumption of the series which originally began in the 1997-98 season.
- Last season's game marked the first UL-JMU contest since a November 1997 matchup in the Dead River Company Classic held in Orono, Maine.
- The contest in Maine was the lone prior meeting before JMU joined the SBC.
- The Dukes are the only squad to enjoy a home court advantage in the series.

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Garry Brodhead (Louisiana, 1980)
Record at Louisiana: 190-157 (12th season), Career Record: Same

JAMES MADISON
Head Coach: Sean O'Regan (James Madison, 2003)
Record at James Madison: 166-66 (eighth season), Career Record: Same

STORY LINES
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team continues its new year-opening, four-game road trip on Saturday, January 6 visiting the Atlantic Union Bank Center for a matchup with host-James Madison.
• UL seeks a sweep of the first leg of the road trip, coming off a 66-61 win at Old Dominion on Thursday.
• Prior to the current four-game road trek, the Cajuns had played 11 of the 12 contests (including exhibitions) held before New Year's Day within the state's borders.
• The Cajuns are playing outside the state of Louisiana for the first time since November 9 at Auburn.
• Paced by a season-high 20 points from Tamera Johnson and career-high 16 points from Jaylyn James on Thursday at ODU, the Cajuns rebounded from their Sun Belt-opening loss to App State.
• Louisiana netted its second-highest field goal percentage (47.7) and drained at least six triples for the fourth time in the past five outings to top ODU.
• Boosted by the return of leading scorer Tamera Johnson, following a brief two-game absence with a nose injury, the Cajuns scored their season-high (66) in regulation against a Division I foe.
• Saturday's game marks a quick rematch at the Atlantic Union Bank Center between the Cajuns and Dukes. Aided by a 10-0 advantage in treys, JMU snuck out a 65-59 win last February in Harrisonburg.

QUICK HITS
• Solid bench production continued, the 31 points at ODU marking a second straight game with 25-plus.
• In overtaking ODU after an 11-point deficit, UL posted two 20-plus point efforts over the last three quarters.
• Tamera Johnson scored double digits the first seven games, leading her to a team-best 14.0 points average.
• Brandi Williams has converted 59 percent of her field goal makes from three-point range (20 of 34 total FGM).
• Tamera Johnson and Brandi Williams are fueling the Cajuns' efforts, averaging a combined 25.2 points.
• Louisiana, a member since the 1991-92 season, is currently in its 33rd season of competition within the Sun Belt Conference.
• UL produced a 101-94 record in Sun Belt play over the first 11 seasons of the Garry Brodhead era.
• 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 10 wins away from recording his 200th win at Louisiana.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The JMU outing will be followed by the back half of the new-year opening, four-game road trip which takes the Ragin' Cajuns to Troy and Arkansas State from January 10-13.

The contests with the Trojans and Red Wolves mark Louisiana's first outings with Sun Belt West Division foes this season.

Both the Wednesday, January 10 matchup in Troy, Alabama and the Saturday, January 13 outing in Jonesboro, Arkansas are part of doubleheaders with the UL men's squad.

Next week's action begins at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday in Troy, the meeting with the Trojans airing live on ESPN+ and radio coverage available on The GOAT 103.3 FM and 1420 AM and the Varsity Network app.

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 in Search of Continued Road Success on Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Jaylyn James

Tamera Johnson

Destiny Rice

Tamiah Robinson

Lanay Wheaton

Brandi Williams

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