Women’s Basketball: Cajuns Win Second Straight with 72-62 Victory over SUNO
Nick Ross, November 11, 2013
Contact: Nick Ross
LAFAYETTE, La. – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns picked up their second win of the 2013-14 campaign, defeating Southern-New Orleans, 72-62, on Monday at the Cajundome.
"I thought we started off pretty good with an 8-0 start," head coach Garry Brodhead said. "Sometimes our kids take it for granted. I feel that from possession to possession we didn’t do as good of a job defending as we usually can. The expectations are very high for us though. We need to get back in the gym and prepare for Sam Houston State."
For the second game in a row the Cajuns’ had four players register double-digit points, and sophomore Jasmin Mills recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 assists. Also scoring in double-digits were Keke Veal with 15 points, Brooklyn Arceneaux with 11 and Gabby Alexander 10.
Louisiana (2-0) sprinted out to an early 8-0 lead, turning the ball over and overwhelming the Lady Knights with speed. SUNO, which was playing the game as an exhibition, wouldn’t hold idle and responded with a quick run of their own eventually taking the lead at 14-12.
The teams would exchange points for the rest of the half, with SUNO leading for a good majority. The Cajuns eventually tied the game up at 33, but the Lady Knights responded with back-to-back buckets to take the lead back. The Cajuns wouldn’t go into the locker room trailing though, tying the game at 37-37 with four seconds left in the half with a pair of free throws from Mills.
Mills finished the half with a team-high 10 points, and four rebounds.
The back-and-forth action continued in the second half with the Cajuns maintaining a slight lead for the first 10 minutes.
The Cajuns went on their only run of the second half with 12:06 to go, outscoring the Lady Knights 10-4, to take an 11-point lead. The run was keyed by five points from Alexander, including four off SUNO turnovers.
"I thought at times we made some reads, especially at the second half," Brodhead said of the teams run in the second half. "We made that run when we put fresh players in and were able to press. I was impressed with those few possessions. It is about not stopping the play. Sometimes we would make a play and then stop and we are trying to avoid that."
The Cajuns used that run to hold a lead for the rest of the game.
Veal finished the game with 15 points and four rebounds, Arceneaux added 11 points with five rebounds and Alexander chipped in with ten points and five rebounds.
For the second game in a row, senior Ashley Benjamin saw herself in double-digit rebounds with 10, but missed the double-double after finishing with six points.
"We expect them to rebound, and they are doing their job," Brodhead said of Mills and Benjamin. "They are both back for a second year and were starters last year so they are familiar with the opportunity they have been given. I hope that other players can feed of what they are doing."
The Cajuns shot 34.3 percent (23-of-67) from the field and 12.5 percent (1-of-8) from behind the arc. They made 61.0 percent of their free throws, sinking 25-of-41 from the charity stripe.
The Cajuns will take to the road for their next contest, with a matinee at Sam Houston State on Friday, November 15 in an 11:30 a.m. tip-off. The Cajuns will return home on November 20 when they take on Lamar at 7 p.m. at the Cajundome.
