Welcome everyone to the latest edition of #3OT where I break down what went right and what went wrong for the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns! In this edition, I look at the Cajuns loss to Arkansas State.
1st OT: Poor Free Throw Shooting Early Big Factor
If there’s one way to hurt your team is having a poor showing from the charity stripe and that’s what the Ragin Cajuns did on Saturday afternoon, in the first half at least. In the first half of their conference opener, the Cajuns shot 3-of-10 from behind the stripe. If there’s a stat that can show why the Cajuns were down by seven at half it’s the fact that they were deficient in that aspect of their game. That being said, they were able to bounce back from the poor start and shoot 77 percent in the second half. If they had been serviceable in the first half, perhaps we’d be breaking down a win for the Cajuns.
2nd OT: Attacking the Boards
One of the more positive aspects for the Ragin Cajuns on Saturday was their ability to get after the rebounds. It’s typically an aspect of their game that’s not seen as a major part of their game. Tonight was a different story as they got 40 boards, 19 of which came on the offensive side. What makes their ability to get offensive boards good is that the Cajuns ended the game with 22 second chance points. The Cajuns need to continue having a performance like this and the season could end up in the big dance.
3rd OT: Bench Shows Depth
One of the brightest spots for the Cajuns the last couple of seasons has been their depth on the bench. That streak continues as they were able to account for 21 of the 71 points put up by the Cajuns. Johnathan Stove really showed his ability to come in and out of the lineup with 27 minutes on the court and having some flashes of being a facilitator throughout the conference opener. With the emergence of freshman Justin Miller and transfer Frank Bartley, the bench may not play as much of a role as it has in the past, but it will be instrumental as conference play progresses to this team’s success.
-Clint Domingue