Women’s Basketball: UL rides another dramatic comeback in 65-64 win

Kevin Foote, The Advertiser, March 26, 2015

 

UL’s Simone Fields (32) puts up a shot against Oral Roberts during their WBI West Region finals game Thursday at E.K. Long Gym.(Photo: Leslie Westbrook/The Advertiser)

 

 PHOTO GALLERY: UL vs. Oral Roberts Women’s Basketball

 

As it turned out, it wasn’t Oral Roberts’ 6-foot-7 senior Vicky McIntyre that UL’s Ragin’ Cajuns needed to get into foul trouble.

It was actually freshman point guard Jordan Doyle that was holding the key to the Golden Eagles’ hopes.

When Doyle got her fourth foul with 13:25 left to play, UL coach Garry Brodhead got exactly what he said he wanted all along – complete chaos.

His Ragin’ Cajuns turned up the defensive pressure and the Eagles’ turnovers began to mount.

Throw in a trio of 3-pointers by Jaylyn Gordon in the second half and one more chapter was written in UL’s magical WBI postseason run with a dramatic 65-64 win over Oral Roberts on Thursday at E.K. Long Gym.

The Cajuns (22-12) will now play Siena in the finals of the Women’s Basketball Invitational at 4 p.m. Sunday at E.K. Long, moved from the original plan of returning to the Cajundome.

“She (Doyle) ran their offense,” Brodhead said. “Without her, their offense wasn’t nearly as fluid.”

Oral Roberts still led 42-31 with Doyle departed the game with four fouls. When she returned at 8:11, the Cajuns only trailed 49-47. When she fouled out at 4:23, UL had gained the lead at 57-54.

But as Brodhead explained, it wasn’t the team’s normal fullcourt press. Instead of trying to help against McIntyre like they did in the first half, the halftime adjustment was to halfcourt trap the Eagles and leave UL’s 6-1 freshman Simone Fields alone against McIntyre.

“We were going to help her if we could, but basically she was on an island,” Brodhead said. “I thought Simone did a great job.”

McIntyre would finish with seven points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots.

With all the energy she spent on defending McIntyre, Fields only had three rebounds to go with her nine points, but it allowed UL’s guards to do their thing in forcing 24 turnovers.

Trailing 42-29 with 14:09 left, that halfcourt pressure forced turnover after turnover. After Oral Roberts made six 3-pointers and hot 56.5 percent from the field in the first half, it was UL’s turn in the second half.

Keke Veal nailed a 3-pointer at 8:57 and then Gordon made three bombs from 7:26 to the 3:04 mark and the third one gave the Cajuns their first lead since 7-65 at 60-58.

“When we were down by 12 at the half, I didn’t feel as bad as it seemed,” Brodhead said. “They had shot the ball so well. Plus, I kind of feel like we play better from behind.”

Veal sure seems to, piling up 23 points, along with five rebounds, four assist and five steals.

“We don‘t really like being a second-half team,” Veal said. “It’s just that when don’t want to give up. We’re not losers.”

For a while in the first half, Brodhead challenged his team’s resolve, getting a technical foul. In the timeout that ensued, he said he told his team, “Where’s the passion? If I’m the only one passionate out here, I’m going to run out on the floor and play.’ “

Something certainly inspired Gordon, who began the second half on the bench with three fouls. Once she got in, she responded with a key 15-point effort.

“Sitting down (to start second half) didn’t bother me,” Gordon said. “I got a chance to see from the bench how I’ve got to shoot, because they were really playing the drive.”

Even after getting the lead, though, Faith Ihim continued to torch the Cajuns’ defense on her way to a 22-point, nine-rebound effort and ORU gran leads of 62-60 and 64-62 with 53 seconds left.

That’s when Veal threw a curve ball at the Eagles. After driving to the basket all night, this time she delivered a bounce pass to Fields in the paint for what turned out to be the game-winning, three-point play with 17.4 seconds left to play.

“We saw that the big girl was coming out on everything,” Veal said. “So when I saw she was there (again), I just hit her (Fields) with a bounce pass and it worked.”