University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Tuesday, November 3
Lafayette
6:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
1-0,0-0Sun Belt
77
vs
72
Xavier (La.)
0-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier (LA) | 19 | 12 | 20 | 21 | 72 |
| Louisiana | 18 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 77 |
11/3/2026 10:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Ragin’ Cajuns forced turnovers on four straight possessions after Xavier pulled within two
LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team maintained its lead over the final four minutes of the fourth quarter by forcing turnovers on four straight Xavier (La.) possessions to secure a 77-72 season-opening victory on Tuesday, November 3 at the Cajundome.
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Imani Daniel made two steals during that stretch, and Amijah Price came up with a third as the Ragin' Cajuns (1-0) held the Gold Nuggets scoreless for more than three minutes after a once 15-point lead dropped to two points.
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The visitors made 11-of-18 shots from 3-point range but managed only one field goal after Faith Robinson's fast-break layup cut Louisiana's lead to 70-68 with 4:20 remaining.
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Daniel intercepted a pass from Shania Swan with 3:44 left. Swan missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer on Xavier's next trip, and even after Tracy Thomas grabbed the offensive rebound, UL forced a shot-clock violation. Daniel took the ball from Thomas on the next possession to give the Ragin' Cajuns another chance to stretch the lead.
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Bailey Timmons kept that chance alive with an offensive rebound, and Malaya Jones found Daniel for a turnaround jumper that made it 72-68 with 2:11 left. Price then stole the ball from Swan, and Jones hit two free throws with 1:34 remaining to push the margin to six.
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Swan, who led XULA with 20 points, drove for a layup to trim UL's lead to 75-72 with 15 seconds left. Jones sank two more free throws with 13 seconds remaining to seal the win.
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Jones led Louisiana with 16 points, including five free throws in the final 94 seconds. Daniel finished with seven points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks – her last block occurring with eight seconds remaining for the finishing touches on UL's late-game defensive stand.
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Timmons had 14 points and eight rebounds, six on the offensive end. Arionna Patterson led the reserves with nine points and a team-high four assists, and Kelis Dansby made all three of her shots for eight points, as Louisiana's reserves outscored Xavier's bench 29-11.
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The Ragin' Cajuns finished 10-of-23 from beyond the arc to counter the Gold Nuggets performance from beyond the arc. The defense forced the visitors into 25 turnovers, the third straight game producing 25-plus miscues going back to exhibition play.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Louisiana had built its lead from the perimeter. After trailing 19-18 through one quarter, the Ragin' Cajuns made five 3-pointers in the second to pull ahead for good.
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Dansby and Price hit threes 36 seconds apart to break a 22-all tie and secure the lead. Jones scored eight points over the final 3:02 of the half, including a 3-pointer that made it 41-31.
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A Timmons putback at 8:37 in the third quarter increased UL's advantage to 49-34 before Xavier rallied to trim the margin to eight entering the fourth.
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UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin' Cajuns travel to Bryan-College Station, Texas for a matchup with Texas A&M (1-0) on Thursday, November 5 from Reed Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on the SEC Network.
The game with the Aggies marks the first of three straight road outings for the Ragin' Cajuns that keeps the squad away from the Cajundome until November 19.
UL and TAMU meet for the first time since November 2017, a Preseason WNIT contest the Aggies claimed 83-62 at Reed Arena.
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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.
Fans can support the women's basketball student athletes, and invest in the program's future, through The Cajuns Edge Fund (click here) to contribute directly to the Louisiana Athletics and Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation's revenue-sharing initiative or by joining the Assist Club (click here).
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Imani Daniel made two steals during that stretch, and Amijah Price came up with a third as the Ragin' Cajuns (1-0) held the Gold Nuggets scoreless for more than three minutes after a once 15-point lead dropped to two points.
Â
The visitors made 11-of-18 shots from 3-point range but managed only one field goal after Faith Robinson's fast-break layup cut Louisiana's lead to 70-68 with 4:20 remaining.
Â
Daniel intercepted a pass from Shania Swan with 3:44 left. Swan missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer on Xavier's next trip, and even after Tracy Thomas grabbed the offensive rebound, UL forced a shot-clock violation. Daniel took the ball from Thomas on the next possession to give the Ragin' Cajuns another chance to stretch the lead.
Â
Bailey Timmons kept that chance alive with an offensive rebound, and Malaya Jones found Daniel for a turnaround jumper that made it 72-68 with 2:11 left. Price then stole the ball from Swan, and Jones hit two free throws with 1:34 remaining to push the margin to six.
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Swan, who led XULA with 20 points, drove for a layup to trim UL's lead to 75-72 with 15 seconds left. Jones sank two more free throws with 13 seconds remaining to seal the win.
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Jones led Louisiana with 16 points, including five free throws in the final 94 seconds. Daniel finished with seven points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks – her last block occurring with eight seconds remaining for the finishing touches on UL's late-game defensive stand.
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Timmons had 14 points and eight rebounds, six on the offensive end. Arionna Patterson led the reserves with nine points and a team-high four assists, and Kelis Dansby made all three of her shots for eight points, as Louisiana's reserves outscored Xavier's bench 29-11.
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The Ragin' Cajuns finished 10-of-23 from beyond the arc to counter the Gold Nuggets performance from beyond the arc. The defense forced the visitors into 25 turnovers, the third straight game producing 25-plus miscues going back to exhibition play.
Â
HOW IT HAPPENED
Louisiana had built its lead from the perimeter. After trailing 19-18 through one quarter, the Ragin' Cajuns made five 3-pointers in the second to pull ahead for good.
Â
Dansby and Price hit threes 36 seconds apart to break a 22-all tie and secure the lead. Jones scored eight points over the final 3:02 of the half, including a 3-pointer that made it 41-31.
Â
A Timmons putback at 8:37 in the third quarter increased UL's advantage to 49-34 before Xavier rallied to trim the margin to eight entering the fourth.
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UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin' Cajuns travel to Bryan-College Station, Texas for a matchup with Texas A&M (1-0) on Thursday, November 5 from Reed Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on the SEC Network.
The game with the Aggies marks the first of three straight road outings for the Ragin' Cajuns that keeps the squad away from the Cajundome until November 19.
UL and TAMU meet for the first time since November 2017, a Preseason WNIT contest the Aggies claimed 83-62 at Reed Arena.
Â
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.
Fans can support the women's basketball student athletes, and invest in the program's future, through The Cajuns Edge Fund (click here) to contribute directly to the Louisiana Athletics and Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation's revenue-sharing initiative or by joining the Assist Club (click here).
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- www.RaginCajuns.com -
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballTeam Stats
XULA
LA
FG%
.417
.438
3FG%
.611
.435
FT%
.579
.478
RB
43
39
TO
25
18
STL
10
12
Game Leaders
Pts
16
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
5
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Wednesday, November 04
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Sunday, February 22
