Cajuns Resume Play Sunday Against Warhawks at Dean-O's Dome

Contact: Matt Hebert

Game Notes

GAME CENTER
Date: Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013
Location: Lafayette, La.
Opponent: UL-Monroe (6-16, 4-9 Sun Belt)
Site: Cajundome (11,550)
Game Time: 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420-AM (Ian Auzenne)

LOUISIANA-UL MONROE SERIES
The Series: UL-Monroe leads 39-6
In Lafayette: UL-Monroe leads 14-5
In Cajundome: UL-Monroe leads 2-1
Series Streak: Louisiana – won 1
Last Meeting: Louisiana 82, UL-Monroe 65 (Cajundome // Feb. 25, 2012)
Noteworthy: The Cajuns claimed the last meeting, also held at the Cajundome, posting an 82-65 win on Feb. 25, 2012. On Sunday, Louisiana seeks back-to-back wins in the series for the first time.

LOUISIANA
12-13 Record____________________     7-15
12-13 Sun Belt Record____________      1-12
Last Game______________________     Feb. 2, 2013
                                                                             at Troy L, 61-68
Head Coach____________________       Garry Brodhead
   UL Record____________________       7-15 (1^st Season)
   Career Record_________________      Same
   Brodhead vs. UL-Monroe________         First Meeting
Web Site_______________________      www.RaginCajuns.com

UL-MONROE
12-13 Record____________________     6-16
12-13 Sun Belt Record____________      4-9
Last Game______________________     Feb. 7, 2013
                                                                             vs. UALR L, 62-69
Head Coach____________________       Mona Martin
   UL-Monroe Record_____________        248-267 (18^thSeason)
   Career Record_________________      Same
   Martin vs. UL__________________        9-3
Web Site________________________    www.ULMWarhawks.com

Game Night Story Lines
>>> Only one month and seven games remain in the inaugural regular season under the direction of head coach Garry Brodhead. After taking both Wednesday and Saturday night off, the Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team is back in action on Sunday, Feb. 10 hosting UL-Monroe at the Cajundome.
>>> Looking for their first win of the “New Year”, the Cajuns are set to face one of the hottest teams in the Sun Belt. The Warhawks have won three of their last four games, including a sweep of the Florida road trip last week.
>>> Last season, the Cajuns defeated UL-Monroe 82-65 at the Cajundome (2/25/12) for the squad's lone SBC win of 2011-12.
>>> Two of the last three games have been close calls for Garry Brodhead's troops, experiencing 12 ties and 13 lead changes vs. FIU (Jan. 23) and 11 ties and 11 lead changes at Troy (Feb. 2).
>>> The Cajuns are 1-1 at the Cajundome in the inaugural Garry Brodhead campaign and sport a 5-6 record in home games (4-5 at E.K. Long Gym).
>>> Another double-figure scoring average week for Keke Veal (14.0 ppg) has vaulted her into the team lead in scoring average with an average of 11.3 points per game.
>>> The freshman class of Keke Veal (11.3), Sylvana Okde (11.0), Kia Wilridge (8.2), Jasmin Mills (4.6) and Adrienne Prejean (1.6) – the foundation class on which Garry Brodhead plans to rebuild the program – averages 36.7 points per game (65 percent of the team's offensive production).
>>> Sylvana Okde is on pace for 76 three-point field goals made, which would land in the program's all-time, single-season Top 5 list. The last Cajuns player to convert 70-plus three-point field goals was Rhonda McCullough with 88 back in 1989-90.
>>> Sylvana Okde one of only 44 student-athletes this season in women's college basketball to convert 50-plus three-point baskets.
>>> Louisiana has committed more turnovers than the opposition only six times in 22 contests (UL ranks fourth in the SBC in turnover margin at +2.6).

LAST TIME OUT: Troy 68, Louisiana 61 at Trojan Arena (Troy, Ala.)
    Sarah McAppion scored four straight points as part of a 9-0 run to end the game, including the game-tying basket and a pair of free throws to give the Trojans the lead for good, as Troy defeated the Ragin' Cajuns 68-61at Trojan Arena.
    Keke Veal led three Cajuns in double figures with 19 points, 10 rebounds and six steals. Ashley Benjamin added 14 points and Jasmin Mills chipped in with 10 points.
    After battling back from a seven-point deficit early in the second half, the Ragin' Cajuns found themselves leading, 61-59, with 2:45 left when Mills drove the lane for an easy basket. But like they had done all night long, Troy answered a Cajun rally – that either tied the game or put UL ahead – by running off the final eight points of the game.
    McAppion started it by gaining separation inside for an easy basket to tie the game at 61-all with 2:28 left, the 11th tied score of the contest. The Cajuns were called for a shot clock violation on their next possession after Veal's trey from the corner was blocked.
    McAppion was fouled at the other end, converting both free throws to put Troy ahead, 63-61 with 1:38 remaining. The freebies led to the 11th and final time the teams swapped the lead.
    Cold-shooting hurt Louisiana in the game as the Cajuns converted 25 of their 67 shots (.373), while Troy was 28-for-57 (.491). Louisiana made up for it by pounding the boards, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds in the contest to own a 21-0 advantage in second chance points.
    The opening minutes of the game featured four ties and five lead changes. Louisiana matched its largest lead of the first half when Sylvana Okde knocked down a three-pointer with 10:42 left that put the Cajuns ahead, 15-12.Troy answered with eight straight points, including a pair of baskets by Harden, to open up a 20-15 lead with 8:53 left.
    UL came right back and tied the game at 20-20 with 7:11 remaining, however six straight points gave the Trojans a 26-20 advantage en route to a 33-28 lead into the intermission.

SERIES HISTORY (UL-Monroe leads 39-6, overall; UL-Monroe leads 14-5 in Lafayette)
>>> The Warhawks have controlled the series, which began during UL's first season of women's basketball in 1971-72. UL-Monroe has won 39 of the 45 all-time meetings.
>>> The Cajuns claimed the last meeting, also held at the Cajundome, posting an 82-65 win on Feb. 25, 2012. On Sunday, Louisiana seeks back-to-back wins in the series for the first time.
>>> Two programs in a conference for the second time in their existence. The Cajuns and then-Indians were members of the Southland Conference from 1982-83 through 1986-87. UL-Monroe joined the Sun Belt during the 2006-07 season.
>>> Sunday's game marks the 13th meeting as Sun Belt foes. UL-Monroe holds a 9-3 lead in the Sun Belt Conference era.
>>> Louisiana claimed the first-ever meeting, a 43-32 decision on Feb. 4, 1972 in Monroe. UL-Monroe then won 10 straight to take control of the series. A 17-game win streak from 1981-82 through 1992-93 turned the series recorded into today's heavy Warhawks' advantage.

NOTING UL-MONROE
>>> UL-Monroe had a three-game win streak snapped Thursday at home in a 69-62 loss to UALR. The Warhawks never led but a late rally saw ULM within two in the final minutes.
>>> Junior guard Elexar Tugler led the Warhawks on Thursday with 18 points and five assists. She just collected her career-high with 19 in the 90-86 win at Florida Atlantic on Jan. 30.
>>> During its three-game winning streak, UL-Monroe averaged 80.0 points per game and shooting 48% from the floor. Turnovers were down, to just 14.3 per game and the Warhawks outrebounded its opponents 45.0 to 37.3.
>>> The roster may have just have three double-digit scorers but ULM makes up for that with scoring depth. Seven Warhawks have led the team in scoring this season.
>>> Head Coach Mona Martin coached her 500th game at UALR on Dec. 1. Martin needs two wins for 250.
>>> At #18 Texas on Dec. 11, UL-Monroe attempted 41 free throws, it was the first time the squad tallied 40 or more FTs in a single game since Dec. 21, 1999 (W, 66-65 vs. New Orleans).

LAST TIME VS. UL-MONROE (Feb. 25, 2012 – Cajundome)
>>> Louisiana used a 19-0 run to break open a three-point contest in the first half and build more than enough cushion to claim an 82-65 victory.
>>> The victory marked the Cajuns lone Sun Belt victory of the 2011-12 season.
>>> The game-deciding run turned a 21-18 lead into a 40-18 advantage and UL-Monroe was never able to get the deficit back into single digits.
>>> The Warhawks did take advantage of a Cajuns scoring lull – UL scored only two points from 14:58 through 8:10 of the second half – and dropped the deficit to 57-45 following a pair of Christina Gray free throws with 8:31 remaining.
>>> UL put the finishing touches on the triumph when a Nicole Morris triple at 5:29 stretched the lead to 66-47, then baskets from Michelle Brunker at 4:43 and Robbie Brown at 4:17 returned the lead to 20-plus points at 70-49.

TIME TO FINE TUNE THE OFFENSE
>>> Improved shooting is the goal for Brodhead as his squad comes down the stretch for the final seven games before the SBC Tournament in Hot Springs.
>>> Louisiana has shot below 40 percent in all but two of the 13 SBC games played thus far.
>>> UL shot just 7-of-45 (15.5 percent) from three-point range in last week's action (North Texas and Troy).

QUOTING GARRY BRODHEAD
“We haven't been shooting the ball like we are capable of doing. We have seven games left before the tournament and we need to turn things around.” – in reference to the Cajuns shooting below 40 percent in close loss at Troy on Saturday, Feb. 2.

VALUABLE EXPERIENCE
>>> The wins and losses may not be satisfactory, but several key freshmen on this year's Cajuns squad are building toward a strong future.
>>> Three of the five freshmen have garnered double figure starts and average over 20 minutes per game – Sylvana Okde (17 starts/31.6 mpg), Kia Wilridge (17 starts/32.2 mpg) and Jasmin Mills (17 starts/23.5 mpg).
>>> Keke Veal averages 25.0 minutes and has nine starts, while Adrienne Prejean has seen action in all 22 contests averaging 14.6 minutes.

ENCORE PERFORMANCE
>>> In last season's meeting with the Warhawks at the Cajundome, Louisiana ended a 15-game Sun Belt losing streak and avoided a winless campaign.
>>> Louisiana enters Sunday's game seeking to halt a lengthy SBC streak once again. The Cajuns have dropped nine straight since the double overtime win over UALR (Dec. 29).

THINK PINK
>>> During Sunday's game the Ragin' Cajuns will be wearing pink uniforms as they observe their annual “Think Pink” contest.
>>> Fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer research.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
>>> The lone road game during the next two weeks takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 13 in Mobile, Ala., as Louisiana meets South Alabama at the Mitchell Center.
>>> Following the USA game, UL returns home for a three-game homestand Feb. 16-23 with games against FAU (Feb. 16), Troy (Feb. 20) and Western Kentucky (Feb. 23).

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Cajuns Resume Play Sunday Against Warhawks at Dean-O's Dome

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