Welcome everyone to another edition of #3OT!
1st OT: Cajuns Kept In Check
When a team has two players in double figures, it’s a huge win for the other team. But the Cajuns got a lot out of the two guys who were in double figures. Shawn Long and Kasey Shepherd knew that this tournament is a chance to head back to the big dance before their college careers are over. But having only two players in double figures really puts a lot of pressure on those two guys to perform. And after Friday afternoon’s performance against South Alabama, the pressure was on those two seniors.
2nd OT: Trojans D Too Much
The scoreboard doesn’t show just how dominant the Trojans were against the Cajuns. The Cajuns had 18 turnovers on the afternoon and the Trojans were able to capitalize on it with 27 points off of those turnovers. That’s how you win games: bring the pressure defensively and capitalize on mistakes. The Trojans are a team to watch if they can make it in to the big dance.
3rd OT: Where Do They Go From Here?
The Cajuns will not be headed to the big dance, but will more likely than not be headed to the CIT or the Vegas Sixteen. Now, for your average team, that doesn’t really have a snowball’s chance in hell of even sniffing the NCAA Tournament, it’s OK to head over there. But with the Cajuns, who have a history of being in the NIT and having had appearances in the tourney, it just doesn’t seem right to be a part of this. It feels like the Cajuns would be getting a participation trophy going to one of the aforementioned tournaments. It’d be great to see the Cajuns seniors play a couple extra games, but does anyone really care if they do well in the CIT or Vegas Sixteen?
-Clint Domingue