University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Thursday, March 5
Cajundome
5 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
vs
UALR
WBB Game 28 Preview: vs. UALR
3/4/2015 7:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Cajuns set to face league leaders in home finale
LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team will make its final home appearance of the regular season on Thursday when it plays host to Sun Belt Conference leader UALR in a 5 p.m. contest at the Cajundome.
The game can be heard in the Lafayette area on ESPN 1420-AM with live video available at RaginCajuns.com.
Louisiana (18-9, 10-8 SBC) will honor its lone senior – Lafayette native Robbie Brown – in a post-game ceremony.
Thursday's game pits two of the top defensive units in the Sun Belt Conference as UALR (24-4, 17-2 SBC) leads the league, and is second nationally, in scoring defense (49.9 points per game). Louisiana, which is ranked fourth nationally in turnover margin (+7.1 per game), is third in the league in scoring defense (57.9) and 47th nationally.
The Ragin' Cajuns are currently fifth in the Sun Belt Conference standings, one game behind Texas State and one game ahead of UT Arlington. Louisiana will conclude the regular season on Saturday at Arkansas State before opening play at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Wednesday at New Orleans' Lakefront Arena.
Game 28 • Louisiana (18-9, 10-8 SBC) vs. UALR (24-4, 17-2 SBC)
Thursday, March 5 • 5 p.m. • Lafayette, La. • Cajundome (11,550)
TV: None • Radio: ESPN 1420 AM • Talent: Steve Peloquin, PxP
Live Stats/Video: RaginCajuns.com/ • Twitter: @RaginCajunsWBB
Series History: UALR leads, 16-8 • Last Meeting: UALR 67, UL 41 (12/30/14)
BY THE NUMBERS
4 - Louisiana is ranked fourth in the nation in turnover margin, forcing 7.07 more per game than recording.
10 - Louisiana's 10 wins in Sun Belt Conference play are the most in a season since posting a 14-4 record in 2006-07.
11 - Louisiana's 11 wins at home in 2014-15 are the third-most in school history.
21 - Junior guard Kia Wilridge is ranked 21st in the steals in the latest NCAA rankings, averaging 2.89 per game.
35 - Louisiana is ranked 35th nationally in steals per game, averaging 10.5 per contest.
42 - Head coach Garry Brodhead's 42 wins at UL are the third-most in school history.
117 - Thursday's game will mark the 117th career appearance for Robbie Brown, the fourth-best total in school history.
Last Time Out
- The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team's inside game coupled with points off turnovers paved the way for a 62-35 victory over Georgia Southern on Saturday at the Cajundome.
- Louisiana (18-9, 10-8 Sun Belt) attempted just eight three-pointers and produced 40 points inside the arc. The Cajuns forced Georgia Southern (4-23, 1-17 Sun Belt) into 29 turnovers and collected 26 points off those miscues.
- Keke Veal scored a game-high 20 points while Kia Wilridge joined her in double figures with 12 points to lead the charge for the Ragin' Cajuns who took sole possession of fifth place in the Sun Belt standings entering the final week of play.
- Louisiana closed the first half on a 5-2 run to claim a 29-20 advantage. The Cajuns then held the Eagles to 10 points through 5:00 of the second stanza, outscoring them 30-10, to put the game out of reach.
- The Ragin' Cajuns reached 10 conference victories for the first time since 2006-07.
A Look at UALR
- UALR won the Sun Belt Conference regular-season championship on Saturday thanks to a victory at UT Arlington and an Arkansas State loss at Texas State. The Trojans are the outright league regular-season champions for the first time in school history.
- UALR's stellar defense was on display yet again on Saturday, holding the Mavericks to just 38 points overall and 17 points in the second half. UALR scored the final 7 points of the game to pull away from the Mavs.
- A win on Thursday at Louisiana would break the school record for conference wins in a season and tie the overall Sun Belt record at 18.
- The Trojans are second in the nation in scoring defense as of Thursday morning, allowing just 49.9 points per game.
- UALR is receiving five votes in this week's USA Today Coaches Poll and remains in the RV category for the sixth straight week. The Trojans are also No. 10 in the Mid Major Top 25 rankings. UALR is No. 37 in the RPI rankings as of Tuesday morning.
- UALR defeated Louisiana 67-41 in Little Rock on December 30, both team's first league game of the year.
Series History
- UALR holds a 16-8 lead in the all-time series and have won the last four meetings dating back to the 2012-13 season.
- Louisiana holds a 7-6 lead in games played in Lafayette, though UALR has won five of the last six meetings on the road since 2008.
- The Trojans claimed a 67-41 victory in the previous meeting between the schools in Little Rock on Dec. 30, 2014.
- Louisiana last earned a win in the series on Dec. 29, 2012 in a 56-54 overtime contest at the Cajundome.
Up Next
- Louisiana will conclude the regular-season on Saturday, March 7, when it visits Arkansas State in a 3:05 p.m. contest at the ASU Convocation Center.
- The Ragin' Cajuns will begin play in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Wednesday, March 11, at New Orleans' Lakefront Arena.
Stifling Defense
- As a team, the Cajuns defense has caused many problems for opponents this season, limiting teams to 57.9 points per game for 47th in the nation.
- The Cajuns have forced opponents to 20-plus turnovers on 18 different occasions as teams are forcing 21.6 turnovers per game this season. In 25 of 27 games, a team has committed at least 15 turnovers with Louisiana Tech (14) and UT Arlington (10) being the only exceptions.
- Louisiana ranks fourth nationally in turnover margin with teams recording 7.1 more turnovers per game than the Cajuns
- Louisiana is 35th in the country in steals per game, averaging 10.5 on the season.
- Junior guard Kia Wilridge's tenacious defense this season has her ranked among the best in the country.
- Wilridge has totaled 78 steals on the season for an average of 2.9 per game for first in the Sun Belt Conference and 21st in the country.
Louisiana Among Sun Belt Schools
- Defense is what has stood out this season for the Cajuns, and their numbers have placed them near the top in the Sun Belt in several categories.
- Among Sun Belt schools, Louisiana ranks first in turnover margin (+7.1), second in steals (10.5) and opponent turnovers per game (21.6), and third in scoring defense (57.9)
- In league play, the Cajuns lead the conference in turnover margin (+7.7), and are second in both opponent turnovers per game (21.6) and steals per game (10.5). The Cajuns have held teams to 60.5 points per game to rank third behind UALR (46.9) and UT Arlington (56.2).
Guards in the Sun Belt Rankings
- Guards Jaylyn Gordon, Keke Veal and Kia Wilridge are making several appearances in the SBC top-10 individual rankings
- Gordon comes in third in three-pointers per game (2.3), fifth in free-throw percentage (79.8%), seventh in minutes played (33.2), eighth in steals (2.0), ninth in scoring (13.8 ppg), 13th in 3-point field goal percentage (.285) and 15th in assists (2.3).
- Veal ranks fifth with 2.1 steals per game but is third overall in SBC play with 2.4 per game. She is sixth in the SBC with 3.4 assists per game and seventh with a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio
- Wilridge appears three times in the SBC rankings, coming in first in steals (2.9 spg), 12th in assists (2.4 apg) and 13th in scoring (12.3 ppg)
Cajuns Climbing the Record Books
- As the season progresses, several Cajuns are ranked in or nearing the top 10 in the career record books:
- With an appearance on Thursday, Robbie Brown will move into sole possession of fourth place in career games played (117). She would tie Sonora Edwards (2005-08) for third with an appearance in Saturday's game at Arkansas State.
- Kia Wilridge is ranked sixth in school history in steals (171) needs one to tie Billie Popovska (1997-01) for fifth-place on the school's all-time list.
- Wilridge is ranked ninth in school history with 214 assists.
- Keke Veal is eighth in school history with 165 steals, five shy of tying Mary Douglas (1982-84) for seventh place.
- Jaylyn Gordon is the final Cajun that ranked in the career top 10 list as her 98 made 3-pointers are the ninth-best total in school history.
The game can be heard in the Lafayette area on ESPN 1420-AM with live video available at RaginCajuns.com.
Louisiana (18-9, 10-8 SBC) will honor its lone senior – Lafayette native Robbie Brown – in a post-game ceremony.
Thursday's game pits two of the top defensive units in the Sun Belt Conference as UALR (24-4, 17-2 SBC) leads the league, and is second nationally, in scoring defense (49.9 points per game). Louisiana, which is ranked fourth nationally in turnover margin (+7.1 per game), is third in the league in scoring defense (57.9) and 47th nationally.
The Ragin' Cajuns are currently fifth in the Sun Belt Conference standings, one game behind Texas State and one game ahead of UT Arlington. Louisiana will conclude the regular season on Saturday at Arkansas State before opening play at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Wednesday at New Orleans' Lakefront Arena.
Game 28 • Louisiana (18-9, 10-8 SBC) vs. UALR (24-4, 17-2 SBC)
Thursday, March 5 • 5 p.m. • Lafayette, La. • Cajundome (11,550)
TV: None • Radio: ESPN 1420 AM • Talent: Steve Peloquin, PxP
Live Stats/Video: RaginCajuns.com/ • Twitter: @RaginCajunsWBB
Series History: UALR leads, 16-8 • Last Meeting: UALR 67, UL 41 (12/30/14)
BY THE NUMBERS
4 - Louisiana is ranked fourth in the nation in turnover margin, forcing 7.07 more per game than recording.
10 - Louisiana's 10 wins in Sun Belt Conference play are the most in a season since posting a 14-4 record in 2006-07.
11 - Louisiana's 11 wins at home in 2014-15 are the third-most in school history.
21 - Junior guard Kia Wilridge is ranked 21st in the steals in the latest NCAA rankings, averaging 2.89 per game.
35 - Louisiana is ranked 35th nationally in steals per game, averaging 10.5 per contest.
42 - Head coach Garry Brodhead's 42 wins at UL are the third-most in school history.
117 - Thursday's game will mark the 117th career appearance for Robbie Brown, the fourth-best total in school history.
Last Time Out
- The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team's inside game coupled with points off turnovers paved the way for a 62-35 victory over Georgia Southern on Saturday at the Cajundome.
- Louisiana (18-9, 10-8 Sun Belt) attempted just eight three-pointers and produced 40 points inside the arc. The Cajuns forced Georgia Southern (4-23, 1-17 Sun Belt) into 29 turnovers and collected 26 points off those miscues.
- Keke Veal scored a game-high 20 points while Kia Wilridge joined her in double figures with 12 points to lead the charge for the Ragin' Cajuns who took sole possession of fifth place in the Sun Belt standings entering the final week of play.
- Louisiana closed the first half on a 5-2 run to claim a 29-20 advantage. The Cajuns then held the Eagles to 10 points through 5:00 of the second stanza, outscoring them 30-10, to put the game out of reach.
- The Ragin' Cajuns reached 10 conference victories for the first time since 2006-07.
A Look at UALR
- UALR won the Sun Belt Conference regular-season championship on Saturday thanks to a victory at UT Arlington and an Arkansas State loss at Texas State. The Trojans are the outright league regular-season champions for the first time in school history.
- UALR's stellar defense was on display yet again on Saturday, holding the Mavericks to just 38 points overall and 17 points in the second half. UALR scored the final 7 points of the game to pull away from the Mavs.
- A win on Thursday at Louisiana would break the school record for conference wins in a season and tie the overall Sun Belt record at 18.
- The Trojans are second in the nation in scoring defense as of Thursday morning, allowing just 49.9 points per game.
- UALR is receiving five votes in this week's USA Today Coaches Poll and remains in the RV category for the sixth straight week. The Trojans are also No. 10 in the Mid Major Top 25 rankings. UALR is No. 37 in the RPI rankings as of Tuesday morning.
- UALR defeated Louisiana 67-41 in Little Rock on December 30, both team's first league game of the year.
Series History
- UALR holds a 16-8 lead in the all-time series and have won the last four meetings dating back to the 2012-13 season.
- Louisiana holds a 7-6 lead in games played in Lafayette, though UALR has won five of the last six meetings on the road since 2008.
- The Trojans claimed a 67-41 victory in the previous meeting between the schools in Little Rock on Dec. 30, 2014.
- Louisiana last earned a win in the series on Dec. 29, 2012 in a 56-54 overtime contest at the Cajundome.
Up Next
- Louisiana will conclude the regular-season on Saturday, March 7, when it visits Arkansas State in a 3:05 p.m. contest at the ASU Convocation Center.
- The Ragin' Cajuns will begin play in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Wednesday, March 11, at New Orleans' Lakefront Arena.
Stifling Defense
- As a team, the Cajuns defense has caused many problems for opponents this season, limiting teams to 57.9 points per game for 47th in the nation.
- The Cajuns have forced opponents to 20-plus turnovers on 18 different occasions as teams are forcing 21.6 turnovers per game this season. In 25 of 27 games, a team has committed at least 15 turnovers with Louisiana Tech (14) and UT Arlington (10) being the only exceptions.
- Louisiana ranks fourth nationally in turnover margin with teams recording 7.1 more turnovers per game than the Cajuns
- Louisiana is 35th in the country in steals per game, averaging 10.5 on the season.
- Junior guard Kia Wilridge's tenacious defense this season has her ranked among the best in the country.
- Wilridge has totaled 78 steals on the season for an average of 2.9 per game for first in the Sun Belt Conference and 21st in the country.
Louisiana Among Sun Belt Schools
- Defense is what has stood out this season for the Cajuns, and their numbers have placed them near the top in the Sun Belt in several categories.
- Among Sun Belt schools, Louisiana ranks first in turnover margin (+7.1), second in steals (10.5) and opponent turnovers per game (21.6), and third in scoring defense (57.9)
- In league play, the Cajuns lead the conference in turnover margin (+7.7), and are second in both opponent turnovers per game (21.6) and steals per game (10.5). The Cajuns have held teams to 60.5 points per game to rank third behind UALR (46.9) and UT Arlington (56.2).
Guards in the Sun Belt Rankings
- Guards Jaylyn Gordon, Keke Veal and Kia Wilridge are making several appearances in the SBC top-10 individual rankings
- Gordon comes in third in three-pointers per game (2.3), fifth in free-throw percentage (79.8%), seventh in minutes played (33.2), eighth in steals (2.0), ninth in scoring (13.8 ppg), 13th in 3-point field goal percentage (.285) and 15th in assists (2.3).
- Veal ranks fifth with 2.1 steals per game but is third overall in SBC play with 2.4 per game. She is sixth in the SBC with 3.4 assists per game and seventh with a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio
- Wilridge appears three times in the SBC rankings, coming in first in steals (2.9 spg), 12th in assists (2.4 apg) and 13th in scoring (12.3 ppg)
Cajuns Climbing the Record Books
- As the season progresses, several Cajuns are ranked in or nearing the top 10 in the career record books:
- With an appearance on Thursday, Robbie Brown will move into sole possession of fourth place in career games played (117). She would tie Sonora Edwards (2005-08) for third with an appearance in Saturday's game at Arkansas State.
- Kia Wilridge is ranked sixth in school history in steals (171) needs one to tie Billie Popovska (1997-01) for fifth-place on the school's all-time list.
- Wilridge is ranked ninth in school history with 214 assists.
- Keke Veal is eighth in school history with 165 steals, five shy of tying Mary Douglas (1982-84) for seventh place.
- Jaylyn Gordon is the final Cajun that ranked in the career top 10 list as her 98 made 3-pointers are the ninth-best total in school history.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
PG
/ Women's Basketball
PG
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