Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, March 9, 2013

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — For Keke Veal, it seemed the basket was clogged almost all game long.

But the Ragin’ Cajun freshman drained a 3-pointer when it was needed most Friday, and that persistence combined with Sylvana Odke’s early trey makes and Brandi Schambough’s efficient shooting from behind the long-distance line lifted UL’s women to an 80-74 double-overtime win over North Texas in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at Summit Arena here.

With the game tied 70-70 and less than two minutes remaining in the second five-minute OT, Veal — a St. Thomas More High product — had hit just 3-of-18 from the field, including 1-of-5 from 3-point range.

But her trey try with 1:44 to go broke the tie, and 10-20 UL — seeded 11th in the 11-team tourney — made 7-of-8 from the free-throw line in the final 51 seconds, including 4-of-4 by Ashley Benjamin and 2-of-2 by Jasmin Mills, to win their first Sun Belt tourney game since 2007.

UL plays No. 3-seed Western Kentucky (20-9) today.

"Amazing," Schambough, UL’s lone senior, said of Veal’s key 3.

"After everything she went through, we kept telling her, ‘You got it, you got it, you can do this.’ And she just got up there and shot it like a normal shot, and it was big."

It was.

The trey from Veal, who finished with a team-high 17 points including 7-of-14 free-throw shooting, helped Garry Brodhead became the first first-year Cajun women’s coach to hit double digits in victories since Mike Doucet won 10 in the 1988-89 season.

"I just had to take pride and have confidence in my shot to make sure I’d come through in the clutch for my team," Veal said, "because they really needed me when I was down and not hitting shots."

Long-distance shots were dropping early for the Cajuns, as Okde made four 3s (she finished 5-of-16, all on treys) and Schambough two to help UL build an early 27-11 lead.

"The only thing I was worried about is, ‘I need to make my shots, I need to do my role and play defense,’ and whatever happens after that happens after that," said Schambough, a St. Thomas More product who finished 4-for-7 — all on 3-pointers — for 12 points.

Odke finished with 16 points, Benjamin had 13 and Mills added 12 for UL, which watched North Texas, seeded sixth, overcome the 16-point deficit and lead 34-32 at the break.

But the confidence the Cajuns gained in those first 10 minutes paid big dividends in the final 10 of OT.

"It kind of got them down for a little bit," Brodhead said of UL’s big early advantage. "They weren’t as confident. They were kind of shaken by it, and I think it helped us.

"They got a run," he added, "but I don’t think we ever got shaken. We just kept on playing."

Down 58-57 with less than two minutes left in regulation, Benjamin hit the second of two free throws to tie it with 1:37 to go.

UL and North Texas then traded a couple of failed possessions each, with Alexis Hyder blocking Veal from behind to force the first OT.

That one started with the Mean Green jumping to a quick four-point lead, but ended shortly after Benjamin stripped North Texas point guard Laura McCoy and scored to tie it at 66 with 38.8 seconds remaining.

McCoy caught front rim on North Texas’ last possession in the initial extra period, and UL again found itself down by four early in the second OT.

But Kia Wilridge hit a jumper in the lane, and Veal made the back end of two free throws on two trips down the floor — separated by Benjamin’s steal of Desiree Nelson’s entry pass — to tie it at 70.

And after a North Texas turnover that was part of effective late-game pressing and trapping by UL, Veal made the 3 that was such a big boost for the Cajuns.

"I grabbed her at half," Brodhead said, "and told her, ‘Look, I know you haven’t been shooting (well). You’ve got to keep shooting. We need you to shoot the ball.’

"It wasn’t planned or (anything). She just felt it, I guess. And she knocked it down. That’s the kind of player she is. That’s why we love her with the ball in her hands."

Releasing it, even after so many others had failed to fall, never required a second thought.

"When your coach tells you to keep going," Veal said, "you’ve got to keep going, because eventually they’re gonna fall."

Because that one did, Brodhead realized a preseason goal: watching a team centered around its freshmen win at least one tournament game.

"Every opportunity for us to get in another game and get this experience is huge — especially a tournament game," Brodhead said. "You’ve got to learn how to win. It just doesn’t ‘happen.’

"When I got hired, I looked at the whole season and I picked a game. What was the most important game to me as a coach? I picked this game. I just thought, ‘Hey, I don’t care what our record is. But if we can win a conference tournament game "» it’s important.’"