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, we look at the Cajuns loss to Arkansas State.
1st OT: Second Half Struggles
When these two teams face off against each other, it’s usually like a heavyweight fight. The Cajuns had Arkansas State up against the ropes early in the second half, but just as the Cajuns looked to be delivering that knockout punch, the Red Wolves offense woke up in a major way. They were able to get red hot from three and go on a huge run to take the lead for good. It’s quickly becoming a theme for the Ragin Cajuns as this season has progressed, especially as the season progresses.
2nd OT: Bench Depth Exposed
One thing that Cajuns weren’t able to hang their hat on is their bench. When Justin Miller and Johnathan Stove get fouled out in the second half, you’d normally expect the bench to come onto the court and make the most of their opportunities. However, the bench only scored one point that entire second half and that was from Stove. The only other player on the bench that put up any points was P.J. Hardy. The Cajuns are very reliant on their starters to be in games a lot more than they used to be in past seasons with Shawn Long and Elfrid Payton leading the way.
3rd OT: Poor Shooting Continues to Plague Cajuns
It sounds like a broken record, but the Cajuns are having a hard time getting things going throughout the game offensively. Saturday night looked like a step forward with how well they shot throughout, but Monday’s loss showed a regression of sorts. The first half for both teams was appalling both teams only making 22 shots combined. The second half was a vast improvement especially when you look at what the Red Wolves did in the second half. Getting hot at the right time from three was a big factor in the win for Arkansas State. Another big factor is that the Cajuns shot from beyond the arc 14 times in the second half. When you don’t normally do well in that aspect you would expect them to try and attack the paint in the second half. That was not the case and it seems to be a pattern to shoot threes once they’re behind by seven or eight points. Sometimes it’s best to go for high percentage shots more often than from beyond.
-Clint Domingue