Women’s Basketball: Veal, Fields Propel Cajuns To 66-53 Win Over Southeastern

LAFAYETTE – Keke Veal scored 12 of her team-high 18 points in the second half and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns overcame a cold-shooting performance from the floor to claim a 66-53 victory over Southeastern Louisiana in a Sunday evening contest at the Cajundome.

Braile Fields added 11 points for Louisiana (7-4), which won its third straight game despite finishing 21-for-70 (30.0 percent) from the floor and 3-for-25 from behind the 3-point line. The Cajuns scored 21 points off 25 turnovers by Southeastern (1-11) while finishing 21-for-27 from the free throw line.

Louisiana scored the game’s first six points as Veal, Brooklyn Arceneaux and Gabby Alexander scored on layups. Southeastern answered with a 6-0 run to tie the game for the first time as the inside tandem of Aja Gibson and Nana Pool scored on three straight possessions.

The Lady Lions trailed 14-10 before a 5-0 run gave them their lone lead of the half. Pool scored on a short bucket with 7:03 remaining in the half before a pair of free throws by Symone Miller tied the game at the 5:48 mark.

A free throw by Annessa De La Cruz gave Southeastern a 15-14 lead with 5:25 left in the half before Louisiana’s Adrienne Prejean opened a 10-2 run for the Cajuns with a bucket in the lane that gave the Cajuns the lead for good. Prejean added another jumper in the lane for the Cajuns before buckets by Kia Wilridge and Jaylyn Gordon would eventually give Louisiana a 24-17 lead.

Louisiana led, 26-20, at the break before Gordon and Okde opened the second half with back-to-back 3-pointers, the first of the game for the Cajuns after going 0-for-13 from long range in the first 20 minutes.

Southeastern closed to within 36-33 on a free throw by Gibson with 11:40 remaining in the game and trailed 50-45 when Pool scored on a short bucket in the lane.

But the Cajuns used an 8-0 run as Jasmin Mills scored on a pair of buckets, before Wilridge and Veal each added a pair of free throws that gave Louisiana a 58-45 lead with 4:02 remaining.

Pool posted a double-double for the Lady Lions with 22 points, going 10-for-13 from the floor, while grabbing a game-high 12 boards. Miller added 16 points for Southeastern, which finished 17-for-47 (36.2 percent) from the floor and 2-for-9 from long-range.

Louisiana will return to action on Saturday (Jan. 4) when it opens Sun Belt Conference play at ULM. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.