Cajuns Fall in Sun Belt Opener to FAU

Box Score

The Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team fell in their conference opener Saturday afternoon to Florida Atlantic 66-52 in the Cajundome.

UL (5-8, 0-1) had trouble ending both halves as the Owls (7-6, 2-0) pulled away on a 15-0 run late in the second half to close out the Cajuns.

Louisiana shot 34 percent from the field for the game including 27 percent in the second half. UL was outrebounded for the game 44-35.

Olivia Nino led the way for the Cajuns with 10 points and grabbed four rebounds. Michelle Brunker and Krystal Motley each had nine points apiece. Brunker grabbed a team-leading six rebounds, while Motley had four assists contributing to a season-high 16 assists as a team. Robbie Brown had an impressive stat line scoring four points and grabbing four rebounds. She also had four assists and four steals.

FAU had three players finish in double-figures. Teri Stamps led the way tallying 18 points, including 15 in the second half. April Goins added 12 while Chenise Miller recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Josie West made the first bucket of the ballgame and provided the Cajuns with a 2-0 lead on a jump shot from the top of the key.

Florida Atlantic scored back-to-back baskets to go ahead, including a three pointer from Kimberly Smith. Laurie' Beaty made a layup on a back cut to make the score 5-4 in favor of the Owls with 16:27 to go in the half.

FAU built a five point lead on a made field goal from Mariana Byczkowski increasing the score to 9-4. UL responded with a 13-2 scoring run over a 5 minute span. The scoring spurt included a Brunker three pointer and a Brown steal and lay in to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 17-11 advantage.

Goins answered the UL run with a basket and Stamps hit a three pointer from beyond the arc to cut the Cajun's lead to 17-16 with 9:11 remaining in the first stanza.

Minutes later freshman Megan Whittaker drained a deep three pointer from the left wing to increase the Louisiana lead to 22-16.

UL struggled on the glass and putting the ball in the hoop the rest of the half as the Owls ended with a 17-4 run to take a 33-26 lead going into the break.

The Cajuns were outrebounded 23-11 in the half and were led in scoring by Nino with six. Brunker added five points and three rebounds.

Miller had an impressive first half for FAU, scoring eight points and grabbing eight rebounds. Goins added eight points herself in the first 20 minutes.

West made Florida Atlantic pay as they left her unguarded and nailed her third three of the season cutting the Owl's lead to 35-29 with 19:05 left in the game.

FAU went ahead 41-31 on a basket from Goins giving Florida Atlantic their biggest lead of the game yet.

Krystal Motley provided two assists in a row as she drove the lane and dished the ball out to Nicole Morris for a three. On the next play, Motley drove the lane once again and handed the basketball off to Brunker for a layup. Beaty completed a 7-0 spark for the Cajuns on a baseline jumper off an inbounds play cutting the FAU lead to 41-38 at the 13:16 mark.

Florida Atlantic's Latavia Dempsey hit her second three of the as she turned around and hit a three from the corner as the shot clock was winding down giving the Owls a six point advantage.

Motley continued to bring a spark to the Cajuns as she had a put back bucket off of an offensive rebound ran the floor after a steal for a layup making the score 44-42 in favor of FAU with 10:53 remaining.

The next six minutes doomed the Ragin' Cajuns as Florida Atlantic embarked on their 15-0 scoring run giving the Owls a 59-42.

UL inched closer on threes from Motley and Beaty down the stretch to cut the lead to 61-49, but the Cajuns wouldn't get any closer.

Louisiana travels to Bowling Green to play against Western Kentucky on Wednesday, January 4. The game is scheduled for an 11:00 a.m. tipoff.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Next Event

Footer

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics