University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Friday, February 28
Hattiesburg, Miss.
5:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
Southern Miss
Ragin’ Cajuns Complete Regular Season on Friday in Hattiesburg
2/27/2025 4:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Contest with Southern Miss to decide Louisiana’s position in SBC Tournament bracket
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team concludes regular season play in the 2024-25 season on Friday, February 28 in a 5:00 p.m. contest with Southern Miss at Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Louisiana (13-14, 9-8 SBC) will finalize its sending for the upcoming Sun Belt Tournament at Pensacola's Bay Center. The Cajuns, tied for fifth in the standings, are in a three-way battle with App State and Old Dominion for a spot in the Nos. 5-6 seed range, which comes with three byes in the event.
After finishing a season sweep of South Alabama on Wednesday at the Cajundome, the Cajuns go for another sweep. Louisiana claimed a 77-68 win over Southern Miss (9-20, 4-13 SBC) at the Cajundome in early January.
For the first time since the 2014-15 season the Cajuns finish the regular season on the road. UL aims to halt a six-game losing streak away from the Cajundome.
Nubia Benedith with double digits in seven of the last 10 games and Skylah Travis who has three double-doubles in February, have led the charge recently. The season-long leading scorer Erica Lafayette is two points shy of recording the first 400-point season by a Cajun since Jaylyn Gordon and Simone Fields in 2016-17.
The Lady Eagles are playing their final regular season game with head coach Joye Lee-McNelis, who has announced her intention to retire following the end of the 2024-25 season
GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (13-14, 9-8 SBC) at SOUTHERN MISS (9-20, 4-13 SBC)
Date/Time: Friday, February 28, 2025 / 5:00 p.m.
Site: Hattiesburg, Miss.
Arena: Reed Green Coliseum (8,095)
Radio: Varsity Network (stream only)
Talent: Dawson Eiserloh
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Ben Milam (pxp), Larry Boyd (analyst)
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Social Updates: @RaginCajunsWBB | #GeauxCajuns
Series Record: Southern Miss leads, 16-5
In Lafayette: Southern Miss leads, 10-1
Streak: UL +2
BOUNCE PASSES
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin' Cajuns travel to Pensacola, Florida to compete in the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Tournament scheduled from Tuesday-Monday, March 4-10 at Pensacola's Bay Center.
Louisiana will receive its official assignment for its opening game in the event following the completion of the last regular season game on Friday, February 28.
It's the fifth straight season the SBC's postseason event is held in Pensacola. UL advanced to the semifinals three of the previous four trips, last playing for the title in 2021.
Live coverage from the SBC Tournament is available on ESPN+, the Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network (The Goat 103.3 FM/1420 AM and Varsity Sports app) and CajunStats.com.
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.
Louisiana (13-14, 9-8 SBC) will finalize its sending for the upcoming Sun Belt Tournament at Pensacola's Bay Center. The Cajuns, tied for fifth in the standings, are in a three-way battle with App State and Old Dominion for a spot in the Nos. 5-6 seed range, which comes with three byes in the event.
After finishing a season sweep of South Alabama on Wednesday at the Cajundome, the Cajuns go for another sweep. Louisiana claimed a 77-68 win over Southern Miss (9-20, 4-13 SBC) at the Cajundome in early January.
For the first time since the 2014-15 season the Cajuns finish the regular season on the road. UL aims to halt a six-game losing streak away from the Cajundome.
Nubia Benedith with double digits in seven of the last 10 games and Skylah Travis who has three double-doubles in February, have led the charge recently. The season-long leading scorer Erica Lafayette is two points shy of recording the first 400-point season by a Cajun since Jaylyn Gordon and Simone Fields in 2016-17.
The Lady Eagles are playing their final regular season game with head coach Joye Lee-McNelis, who has announced her intention to retire following the end of the 2024-25 season
GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (13-14, 9-8 SBC) at SOUTHERN MISS (9-20, 4-13 SBC)
Date/Time: Friday, February 28, 2025 / 5:00 p.m.
Site: Hattiesburg, Miss.
Arena: Reed Green Coliseum (8,095)
Radio: Varsity Network (stream only)
Talent: Dawson Eiserloh
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Ben Milam (pxp), Larry Boyd (analyst)
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Social Updates: @RaginCajunsWBB | #GeauxCajuns
Series Record: Southern Miss leads, 16-5
In Lafayette: Southern Miss leads, 10-1
Streak: UL +2
BOUNCE PASSES
- Louisiana ends regular season play with Southern Miss a third straight season, this time as the visiting team.
- UL seeks to secure a winning conference mark for the sixth straight season dating back to the 2019-20 season.
- Entering Friday, UL is tied with App State and Old Dominion in fifth place battling for a spot in the Nos. 5-6 range in SBC Tournament seeding which provides three byes to start the event.
- Louisiana look for its first season series sweep of USM since the Lady Eagles joined the SBC in 2022-23.
- Cajuns built a 20-point halftime edge and topped USM 77-68 in the season's first matchup back on January 11 at the Cajundome. UL converted 93 percent of its shots, hitting 13-of-14, in the second quarter to pull away.
- The January win clinched Louisiana's back-to-back series wins over USM in the overall series history.
- UL and USM have had exciting season finales the past two years, both games in Lafayette going to overtime.
- The road has been a challenge for the Cajuns – 2-10 this season averaging six points less than foes (60.0-66.2).
- Louisiana has lost only four times when scoring 60-plus, sporting a 12-4 record when hitting the mark.
- Wednesday's USA win was vintage Cajuns basketball and surprisingly the first this season scoring under 60.
- Skylah Travis has led UL in rebounding in five of the last seven games and is averaging 8.4 boards in February. She's pulled down at least eight rebounds in each of the past four games.
- Skylah Travis notched her third double-double in February, posting 10 points and 11 rebounds vs. USA.
- Boosted by career-bests of 24 pts at Coastal and 26 pts vs. Marshall, Erica Lafayette is averaging 16.9 ppg in SBC play in February. Ironically, though, she's been held to single digits the last two games (ULM, USA).
- Erica Lafayette has reached double digits in 14 of 17 SBC games, pacing her 16.8 ppg in conference play – the highest conference average by a Cajun since Jaylyn Gordon (17.5) in 2016-17.
- Skylah Travis emerged as a presence in the front court earlier this month, posting a double-double each of the first two weeks (Marshall, ULM). She averaged 8.6 points and 8.6 rebounds during the stretch.
- Nubia Benedith is shooting her best as a Cajun (41.7%) and generating her highest points average (9.3). On February 12, she eclipsed 500 points at Louisiana and clinched her second 200-point season with the program.
- Tamiah Robinson is nine field goals and 21 points shy of matching her single-season bests in both categories.
- With six players scoring 6.0-plus ppg, UL's averaging 67.2 in SBC play, tied for highest of Garry Brodhead's tenure.
- Cajuns rank Top 30 nationally in turnovers forced (20.2), turning foes over 20-plus times in 16 of 27 games.
- UL held its first five foes to 60 or below and has yielded 70-plus only four times (#4 LSU, Troy, Coastal, Marshall).
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin' Cajuns travel to Pensacola, Florida to compete in the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Tournament scheduled from Tuesday-Monday, March 4-10 at Pensacola's Bay Center.
Louisiana will receive its official assignment for its opening game in the event following the completion of the last regular season game on Friday, February 28.
It's the fifth straight season the SBC's postseason event is held in Pensacola. UL advanced to the semifinals three of the previous four trips, last playing for the title in 2021.
Live coverage from the SBC Tournament is available on ESPN+, the Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network (The Goat 103.3 FM/1420 AM and Varsity Sports app) and CajunStats.com.
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 -
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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