The University of Louisiana women’s basketball team has now lost four straight games after their 61-53 home loss to Georgia State.
How It Happened:
Both teams got off to a fast start. Georgia State was the first team on the scoreboard but they traded baskets from there. UL and Georgia State were tied at 11 with 4:19 left in the first quarter. The teams each hit five of their first eight field goal attempts.
The Ragin’ Cajuns led 17-16 after the first 10 minutes. Jomyra Mathis and Skyler Goodwin combined for 11 of the team’s 17 points.
Georgia State’s offense remain productive to start the second quarter. They were able to take a 28-23 lead with 4:59 left in the first half. UL only scored two points in the first 3:30 of the second quarter.
UL finished the first half on an 11-4 run to enter halftime with a 34-32 lead. Georgia State turned the ball over four times in the final 3:36.
The Ragin’ Cajuns came out of the halftime break aggressive. They shot six free throws in the first five minutes of the third quarter. Despite starting 2-of-5 from the field, UL scored nine points thanks to their five made free throws. UL led Georgia State 43-38 with 4:39 left in the third.
It was a sloppy end to the quarter for UL. Georgia State closed out the third with a 9-0 run. They led 47-45 entering the final 10 minutes. The Ragin’ Cajuns committed six fouls in the third quarter alone after only committing three fouls in the entire first half. They also made one of their last nine field goal attempts to close out the third.
Andrea Cournoyer gave the Ragin’ Cajuns their first field goal of the fourth with 6:45 left in the game. The UL guard hit a 3-pointer at the top of the key to stop the Georgia State run. The Panthers still led 54-48 with 5:35 remaining.
Cournoyer cut into the Panthers lead with another 3-pointer. However, Georgia State responded with a three of their own to keep their six-point lead.
UL could not overcome their offensive struggles in the second half. They only scored 19 points in the final two quarters after scoring 34 in the first half. Georgia State outscored the Ragin’ Cajuns 29-19 in the second half for the road win.
The Ragin’ Cajuns are now 13-10 for the season and 6-6 in the Sun Belt Conference.
Big Number: 11
UL committed 11 fouls in the second half against Georgia State after only three in the first. The Ragin’ Cajuns seemed to struggle when the game got physical in the third quarter and their offense slowed down due to the number of fouls.
Player of the Game: Shaquanda Miller-McCray
The Georgia State center displayed her size advantage against the Ragin’ Cajuns. Miller-McCray grabbed 12 rebounds, with four coming on the offensive glass. She also recorded nine points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field.
Up Next: At home vs Georgia Southern, Saturday Feb. 15; Tipoff scheduled for 2 p.m.